The Fall of Lord Frieza
by Mr.Arkham
Summary: Frieza makes a different choice against Goku on Namek and his life takes a drastically different course. As his empire and family crumble away from him, Frieza must rise from the ashes and become a hero in a galaxy that fears and despises him.
1. Surpassed

This is the tragedy of a tyranical despot named Frieza. The tale of how he was maimed by his own foolishness, how his family were lost to him, how his empire crumbled before his very eyes...And how he rose above this tragedy to become a hero in a universe that feared his visage and spat at the mention of his name.

And it all began with an ironic gesture of mercy at the hands of the newest Super Saiyan, Son Goku of earth,

* * *

"Please...Don't let me die..." Frieza pleaded, his voice cracking and barely above a whisper. It had all happened to swiftly, the alien emperor had been directing his Death Saucers after the golden haired Saiyan, desperately trying to bisect the monkey who had humiliated and beaten him to a pulp. And then, in his moment of blind rage, he lost his focus. His Death Saucers sliced off his tail, his legs, and chopped off one of his arms from the elbow down. He was fading in and out of consciousness, his pain so grand that the Frost Demon was even oblivious to the destruction of Namek going on all around him.

Goku was in turmoil. He was a kind and merciful being at heart, but the wrathful power of the Super Saiyan trying to overtake his mind was urging him to crush Frieza's skull beneath his boot, or to toss him into the hole that led to the planet's core. "Please...Have mercy..." the despot croaked out through pained whimpers. Goku clenched his fists and spun around to face the dying Frost Demon "How many people begged for their lives at your feet and you killed them anyway?!" Goku spat, his Saiyan blood boiling, voices from beyond this mortal coil urging, begging him to end this tyrant before he could harm another."Did you show me mercy when I begged you to spare my best friend Krillin?!" he yelled, turquoise eyes flaring with rage.

"Please...Please...For...give...me..." Frieza gasped weakly, blood pooling from his dark lips. Goku exhaled deeply, and then spun around, shooting a golden sphere of energy into Frieza's body. The white-skinned alien's eyes popped open, and for a moment he saw a golden light envelope what remained of his body before it dissipated. The pain was still grand, but one of the Frost Demon's greatest racial traits was their ability to endure...

"I've...given you some of my own energy. You should be able to move." Goku said, as if in disbelief at his own words "Go and do as you like with it. You're on your own now." A few metres away, the ground near the two mighty warriors errupted, giant vents of lava shooting into the sky. The ground around the whole planet was being rended apart, and it seemed the whole world would explode in under an hour...Well, Frieza had certainly underestimated the lifespan of the planet when he first launched that Death Ball into the core. Frieza used his telekinesis to float up off the ground, using the very same power to hold his remaining vital organs in place "I...I didn't think you would give me your ki..." Frieza remarked, clearly shocked. Goku still looked stoic "You can survive in space can't you? Then get off this planet and be thankful you're alive." Frieza was silent for a few moment before a smirk graced his gloody and bruised face, and the Frost Demon started laughing.

"Tell me this then little Saiyan, since you seem to have all the answers, where will you go now that the planet's going to blow up? You can't survive in space like I can, you'll just die!" Goku glanced back at Frieza from over his shoulder "That's true, I can't make it back to my ship in time...So I'll take yours." A smug grin graced Frieza's face, he knew full well that even if the Saiyan reached his mothership it wouldn't be space worthy after what Vegeta did to it. "Haha, it doesn't work! Vegeta damaged it! You the winner will die, and I will survive! How funny!" the tyrant yelled, giving a roar of laughter "Your pride has cost you, giving me your ki..." Goku stood silent and turned around, before calmly sating "I'll survive." and with that the Super Saiyan took off into the dark skies of Namek, a gold trail of light following behind him.

Frieza watched his greatest foe fly off, rage swelling and burning inside him at the pain and humiliation this Saiyan had caused him "Simian bastard..." Frieza growled, clenching his remaining fist. It was tempting, so tempting, to launch all his remaining energy at the Saiyan and destroy him with a sneak attack. Then he thought back to their earlier battle...This Saiyan had some sort of, natural energy sensing ability didn't he? He'd sense his attack coming, and in Frieza's deformed and damaged state the Super Saiyan could likely overwhelm him easily. Frieza had to swallow his pride and accept what he had been denying ever since Goku first transformed into a Super Saiyan.

He had been bested.

For now at least. Frieza would get his body repaired, get stronger...And then he would slaughter this simian. Nobody would make a fool of the ruler of the galaxy, the Lord of the Arcosian people. Wordlessly, Frieza let his muscles decrease in size as he left his power-weighted form which was causing him such fatigue, then he quietly lifted his disembodied legs, arm and tail in a telekinetic field, before starting to fly up into Namek's upper atmosphere and into the dark void of space. At his hypersonic movement speed it would take some time, but he could make it out there before the planet exploded as far as he was concerned.

And he did manage an escape into outer space, turning back for a few moments to admire the gaping wound his powers had left on the planet Namek. He could release the power to destroy entire worlds as if they were as delicate as cotton candy...And he had still been bested by a damn monkey. A few minutes passed by in the silence of space, minutes spent by Frieza strengthening the mental field containing his dismembered limbs and retreating to a safer distance from Namek. And in that time he saw one of the Ginyu's attack pods fleeing the ruined world, no doubt the Super Saiyan making his escape, much to Frieza's shock. Still, before Frieza could make any move against the attack ball it dissapeared from sight, travelling several times faster than light. Far faster than Frieza could hope to keep up with, even if he weren't so damn exhausted.

He witnessed Namek's destruction with unblinking eyes. Unlike when he had destroyed Planet Vegeta all those years ago, this carnage did not make Frieza burst out in a fit of maniacal laughter. Just a simple smirk of his dark, bloodied up lips.

And then the Arcosian Lord was left alone to drift. He could try make it to some sort of inhabited planet, but even leaving this solar system would take several days at least in his current condition...Well, he wasn't worried. Even if he couldn't make it anywhere alone, his father would likely investigate once he noticed Namek's destruction and the fact that Frieza's mothership hadn't returned to the palace on Arcos. All he had to do was wait, occupy his time with memories.

He thought back on the legend of the Golden Haired warrior, the Super Saiyan that his great great grandfather Chilled had allegedly been killed by. Nobody really believed him of course, many saw that tale as fiction, a dying man's fantasy. At best all it was was a ghost story to the Cold Family. A ghost story that Frieza's older brother, Cooler, had endlessly tormented him about. Yes ever since Frieza's grandfather Glacei had first led that Arcosian expedition to the planet Vegeta and recruited them to the Planet Trade Organisation, Frieza being only a young lad at the time, Cooler had filled his head with stories of how 'The Super Saiyan' would hunt him down and kill him, just like he had done to Old Chilled. When their mother had been alive, she'd chastise Cooler heavily for trying to scare his little brother, and while Frieza had pretended Cooler's ghost tales didn't bother him it gave him his deep-rooted paranoia. And when he saw the average power levels of the Saiyans on the rise he felt it was only a matter of time before an entire race of Super Saiyans rose against him...A prospect that terrified him to the point that he decided to...Thin out the Saiyan numbers.

Frieza scowled bitterly. He should have killed them all when he had the chance.

And then his thoughts drifted to his mother, Queen Cold, a smile graced his lips. Not a sadistic grin or a condescending smirk that Frieza would normally give off, a genuine and warm smile at those few pleasant childhood memories he had. She was fonder of diplomacy than Frieza's father, though she mainly stayed around the palace to raise Frieza and Cooler. He could recall her face even now, ivory skin, purple armoured plates, red bio-gems on her body. She was tall and lanky like Cooler, more slender than muscular of course. King Cold always told Frieza to never take her lessons of diplomacy to heart, to always follow the Cold family policy of might being right above all else. He thought back to the day she died, when Frieza and Cooler returning to the palace after spending the majority of the day sparring. Father had met them, in the throne room and quietly explained how his wife had taken ill and passed on...From then on Frieza changed into the tyrant he was today, with only his father to mentor him and shape his view of life in the universe.

* * *

When King Cold came to retrieve his son, Frieza had no idea just how long he'd been drifting among the ruins of the Namekian solar system. Days at least with nothing but his memories and the determination to keep ahold of his legs and arm to keep him busy. The landing ramp of King Cold's flying saucer opened up slowly to reveal the towering monarch, arms folded over his battle armour. "Frieza, so glad to see you alive...Shame not all in one piece." Frieza scowled at his father's joke while the King simply tittered and led his son inside "So long as I have the body parts they can be repaired and reattached..." Frieza remarked as he floated behind King Cold.

"Of course son." Cold replied dryly, as if only half listening "Now, out of curiosity, just what was it that roughed you up so badly...In your most powerful form no less?" he asked. Frieza inhaled slowly through his nose and then flatly stated "It was a Super Saiyan." King Cold stopped mid-step, then his head slowly turned around to look at Frieza from over his brown pauldron. "A Super Saiyan? As in the old story Chilled said on his deathbed?" King Cold asked incredulously. "I know it's hard to believe father, but it's true... Things on Namek became complicated to say the least. A group of humans got involved in a quest to get their own wishes from the Dragon Balls, Vegeta turned traitor...And then some other Saiyan survivor showed up. He seemed a little bit...Upset when I killed his human friend. The rage seemed to transform him into the gold-haired warrior that Chilled was so terrified of..."

"Well then, it seems we'll need to teach this Saiyan a lesson." Cold replied, opening the door to the med-bay and stepping inside. The scientists present gave a salute but also gave Frieza a wide berth as he floated in, carrying half his body in a bubble behind him. "Fix these." Frieza ordered gruffly, letting his limbs and tail his the ground outside a medical machine with a dull *plop*. With that, the Arcosian lord floated onto the operating table and closed his tired eyes tight "And give me some temporary cybernetic bodyparts while they're being repaired." he added.

* * *

_Meanwhile, hundreds of lightyears away._

General Kanchapp was one of Frieza's most powerful Generals, dictating operations across the North Galaxy. A Zaltian in species, he stood tall at near 8 feet tall, muscular enough, his skin crimson and scaley. As was common in the Zaltian species his face was vaguely frog-like, large spherical eyes atop his slightly flat head. He wore sleeveless battle armour, black with a golden trim with arm guards of a similar colour. He wore tight black trousers on his lanky legs and had white boots that went past his ankles.

Right now the Zaltian general was in the command centre of his mothership the Dark Star, looking toward his communications officer "Report." he said simply, his voice harsh and raspy. "Well sir, Lord Frieza still hasn't been 6 days after planet Namek's destruction. Our recon crafts have sighted another Planet Trade ship heading into the debris field of the planet, though they couldn't confirm if they retrieved Lord Frieza or not. Getting any closer to investigate would have led to them being sighted." the officer explained.

"I see." Kanchapp replied, giving a solmn nod and rubbing his chin with his hand. "Dismissed." he added, turning his attention to the galactic map, seeing just how much territory Frieza's family controlled. _'If Frieza really is gone, then that's one less member of the Cold Family to worry about...I better get into contact with the other generals though if this rebellion is to have any chance at all of succeeding...'_

* * *

A/N: Woo-hoo, now that was hella fun to write. Well since it's the first chapter I figure I should take the time to talk about things that I feel will be brought up in comments. First of all, this fic was inspired American Vigor's awe-inspiring fanfic, Honor Trip. The whole thing about a despicable villain becoming a noble hero is a pretty cool idea, and I have to admit making Frieza a hero will be a bit of a challenge...It'll certainly be fun to try though.

Now, first thing's first, the official name for Frieza's race in this fic are the Arcosians. The same race that appearantly gave the Saiyans their technology in exchange for servitude. Frost Demon is also a common slang term for the race within the galaxy, similar to how Saiyan's are referred to as 'Monkies.'

As for Kanchapp's species, the Zaltians, they are Neiz's species. Kanchapp is a bit stronger than Neiz though, currently equalling Frieza's third form in power. But he has a few secrets up his sleeve to raise his power up.


	2. Broken

_"...And then the Super Saiyan pulled Chilled's legs off and gobbled 'em up so he couldn't run away!" "Th-that's stupid Cooler! Chilled could still fly!" the young Frieza countered, staring at the floor. A menacing glint came from his brothers curved horns in the light of the palace corridors "No stupid, flying hadn't been invented yet. That's why people started flying after Chilled died, so they could get away after he ate their legs!" Cooler said, smirking and poking Frieza in the bio-gem on his chest._

_Frieza took a step back and grit his teeth "Sh-shut Cooler, that's not true at all!" he snapped, trembling with barely contained rage. Cooler, in his fully sealed form like his brother, continued to smirk and scratched the red flesh of his arm "Keep lying to yourself Frieza. Father might've given you a planet full of monkies to control, but you'd do well to remember that one of these days one monkey will transform into a Super Saiyan..." Cooler remark. A small spark of gold energy formed on Cooler's index finger as he leaned down to his brother's eye level "And then..." the energy spark on Cooler's finger exploded with a bang "Bang! No more Frieza..." he said menacingly, seeing chills run down his brother's spine._

_"Cooler! How many times have I told you not to scare your brother with this Super Saiyan nonsense?!" a female voice snapped, making Cooler flinch, and look rather terrified himself. Queen Cold plucked her eldest son up by the horn so he was dangling and flailing a few feet off the ground. Queen Cold was one of those rare Arcosians who chose to walk around in her fully unsealed form. She had Frieza's ivory skin, but her wrist and knee guards were purple in colour as was her chest plate. The bio-gems on her stomach and head were a crimson in colour, matching her eyes._

_"Go to your room, no supper for children who tell such nonsensical stories." Queen Cold ordered sternly, setting Cooler down on the ground and pushing him in the direction of his room. Cooler scowled and plodded off, while Queen Cold turned her attention to her youngest child. "Come along Frieza." she said simply, letting her tail rest around the young Arcosian's shoulder as she led them to the artificial garden. As one would imagine from an ice planet, flora on Arcos was very sparse and the plants that did exist were rather...ugly. Thus the garden of the royal palace was an artificial environment, rich air, strong artificial sunlight, heavily fertilised soil, and beautiful plants gathered from around the galaxy being grown within the garden._

_Queen Cold say down in a clearing of golden grass, tall enough to go past the young Frieza's knees, and she pat the ground beside her instructing Frieza to sit there. "I wasn't scared mother...I know it was just one of Cooler's stupid stories." Frieza said sternly, looking down at the ground and plucking up blades of grass, tearing them up before throwing them behind his back. "Well, I believe the second half of that." Queen Cold remarked, with a small titter of laughter "Frieza, it's alright to be afraid, especially when you're a child. Despite what your father may say, there's nothing wrong with showing emotions." This seemed to surprise Frieza, causing him to look up from his grass slaughter "But...Father says that a member of the Cold Family has to be stoic and harsh, that emotions are for lower being-" Frieza was cut short by Queen Cold pressing one slender finger over her sons lips._

_"Shush child." she said simply. "Your father is not always right, as I said, He is not immune to making stupid decisions. And he's certainly not right when it comes to emotions, and if you are to be future ruler you will need to be empathetic toward your subjects in order to maintain their loyalty and respect." she explained. And indeed, Frieza was to be the next ruler of the Planet Trade Organisation. He was placed ahead of his brother and was to be his parents succesor, simply because he had been born with a higher power level than Cooler. "But...father is not empathetic and he keeps all his subjects in line." young Frieza murmured, going back to tearing up golden blades of grass._

_"Through fear, Frieza. His subjects follow him because they fear his wrath...Mark my words though Frieza, anyone who ruled through fear will one day face rebellion. Their subjects will realise that a life lived in fear is no life at all. No matter how slime their chances of victory would be, they'd rather die for freedom than to live any longer beneath the boots of a tyrant." she explained, giving Frieza a small pat on the head. The young Frost Demon glanced up at his mother and blinked a few times. She made a few good points, but still...He could hardly just not listen to his father's lessons._

_Queen Cold stood up then and took her youngest child's hand "Come now Frieza, it's supper time. Fried Glacigator, your favourite." she said giddily, walking along hand in hand with Frieza, who was now grinning with delight. However as they moved from the gardens and into the palace corridors, Frieza noticed his father standing in a nearby doorway, looking very, very cross._

* * *

Frieza's eyes popped open, stirred from his sweet dreams, and he was immediately blinded by the lights above the operating table. A few blurred figures came into view, and as Frieza's vision was restored he recognised them as his father's science staff. "Ah, Lord Frieza, your temporary legs and arm are fully functional. Try them out." one scientist, a dark green Litt said. Frieza looked down at his new metal limbs, finding them rather ugly. Gunmetal grey in colour, various different components making up each limb...He truly did look like a Frankenstein monster. He was broken.

For the time being, at least. Still, he couldn't let any of his subjects see him like this, and he'd be unable to train or get stronger with his body like this, the mechanical parts wouldn't increase in power. He doubted he could fight well at all like this, when he clenched his mechnical fist the neural link simulated the sensation of touch, but it was as if he was touching things in a pair of gloves. When he thought of walking his mechanical legs, there was some sort of delay in between the command and the actual action. The Arcosian paused and glanced to the Litt scientist from before "You. How long will it take to repair my limbs?" he asked. The avian humanoid looked over to the medicine machine, the deformed legs and tail floating around the green liquid like ice cubes in water.

The Litt scientist cleared his throat before stammering out a response "W-well s-sire, the healing liquids could have your limbs and tail repaired in about three days, but the complicated part is...Well..." he seemed hesitant to continue, but when he saw Frieza narrow narrow his eyes he knew better to keep him waiting "A-a-as you were in y-your power weighted form when you were um...bisected, so we need to find a way to reduce your body parts in size in order to reattach everything." Frieza raised a brow "Can't I just let you remove my mechanical parts and then bulk up?" he asked, letting his fleshy hand rest on his hip.

"Oh...Well, yes. I suppose that's entirely possible Lord Frieza." the Litt replied, slightly taken aback by how simple the solution was. _'Honestly I think Recoome would make a better scientist than some of these fools...At least he could get a sentence out without stammering.'_ Frieza thought to himself, roling his crimson eyes. With that, Frieza started walking along the corridors of Cold's mothership, his feet making odd _*clacking* _sounds with every step, echoing off the currently vacant corridors. Soon enough he reached the bridge of the ship, the various science officers handling the instruments briefly standing to attention to salute their lord. 'Yes yes, hail me...Sycophants...' Frieza thought to himself. He walked over to the massive throne his father was seated in, his regal father currently swilling some wine around in a glass specially designed for his massive hands.

"So Frieza, what planet does this Super Saiyan call home?" King Cold asked, lifting the wine glass up to his ruby lips and tipping the similarly coloured liquid down his throat. Frieza thought back to his experiences on Namek, trying to think back on those he fought "Earth, father." Frieza replied curtly. "Well, let's head there now, get revenge on the fool who took you by surprise." The Arcosian lord paused for a moment at his father's suggestion, looking down at his metallic fist and clenching it tight "No." Frieza replied "Not yet. I need to get stronger before I go after that accursed monkey, and I can't do that while I'm stuck with these damned mechanical body parts." he explained, taking a seat in his own smaller throne beside his father. He didn't even need to look at his father to know the shock on his face.

"F-Frieza...Are you sure about this?" King Cold asked. Was his son really running from a fight? This had never happened before, and the frosty monarch had instructed his youngest son to never do such a thing. "Take me home, father." Frieza ordered, issuing commands to the navigators and the pilot to set a course for Arcos. He needed to reach his palace, the training chamber...Once he had his limbs back he could easily surpass that monkey with a little training. Yes...of course he could...

* * *

_Across the stars, Goku had crash landed on a strange yet peaceful planet known as Yardrat, where he would spend the next year being nursed back to health and trained in a new, rather potent technique._

_Across the stars, Prince Vegeta had hijacked a Capsule Corp spaceship to seek out his seemingly lost rival, Kakkarot and to learn more about Frieza's fate, whether or not the Saiyan raised on earth had actually been foolish enough to save the Frost Demon's life._

_And across the timestream, a young half-Saiyan named Trunks was arming himself in preparation for an epic battle against two Frost Demons, merely one objective in his lengthy mission to save his hellish, doomed future._

* * *

Meanwhile, on planet Bredu.

Abo and Kado were two grunts under the employ of General Kanchapp. While they had decently high power levels, both of them around 50'000 individually and 200'000 when fused as Aka, their general stupidity meant that they never really advanced that far in the ranks of the Planet Trade Organisation. Right now they were flying across the dusty surface of the ruined world known as Bredu, the purple cloaks covering their white battle armour flapping about from both high winds and their fast movement speeds.

The twins scouters beeped to live, a transmission from high command _"Abo, Kado, report."_ the Zaltian general stated brusquely. "Well sir, the artifact was definitely here, but the ones who deployed it and the artifact itself have long since fled..." Abo said. "They're definitely travelling in a ring pattern though, just like the navigators said." Kado added. General Kanchapp was quiet for a moment before saying _"Find the artifact's planting site just so we can truly confirm it was here and the planet's current state wasn't brough upon by a natural disaster of some sort."_ in his usual tone. "Yes sir!" the alien twins said in near unison.

Abo paused for a moment, clicking his scouter and scanning his gaze all across the ruined planet "Damnit, this'll take forever, there's not a single ki signature on this damn world." Kado rolled his eyes "Duh, that's what the plant does brother, sucks a planet's ki dry...Come on, we'll be able to find the planting site easier if we're higher up." he replied. Thus the red and blue twins flew skyward, heading up and up until they reached Bredu's lower stratosphere, and from there the dumbass duo resumed scowering the planet's surface.

"Wait, is that it there?" Kado asked, pointing his gloved finger to a large series of crevices and trenches in Bredu's dusty surface. And there in the centre of the this tangled nest of massive trenches was a massive crater in the husk planet, that seemed to etend so deep into the planet that Abo and Kado couldn't even see the bottom...Nought but complete darkness. Abo reached up and tapped a button on his scouter, opening a video feed for General Kanchapp to see "Sir, we found the planting site on Bredu...We're well on our way to getting our very own Tree of Might..."

* * *

A/N: Well that was pretty fun to write up. Not too much to talk about now but I suppose I should point one or two things , no Turles is not the owner of this particular tree of might. I figure more than one has to exist, simple logic.

Now for Arcosian transformations. I'm pretty much using the DBM explanation for their transformations, that the 4th form is the Arcosian's 'unsealed' form, the form in which they are born in. Due to their rather dangerously high power levels at birth they create 'Sealed' forms to supress their powers. Cooler and Queen Cold are somewhat odd in that they walk around in their fully unsealed forms, and from henceforth Frieza will be spending most of his time in his unsealed form.

Cooler's transformation seen in Cooler's Revenge is an exception to this, a transformation that multiplies that power of their unsealed forms. This would be the Arcosian equivilant of a Super Saiyan transformation, and as was also the case with the Super Saiyan transformation there's more than one. And yes, Frieza will unlock some new forms of his own as the fic progresses.

So that's it for now, will likely have more to talk about in the Author's Notes when we get some reviews in here.


	3. Alone

Arcos, even from space, did not look like an attractive world to live on. A giant sphere of ice covered in swirling white clouds, the constant snow storms that would sweep over the planet. It was far from the star of it's solar system, Terma, it's gravity was heavy, and it's atmsphere was fairly thin. By all rights, no life should have ever been able to evolve upon it. And yet, the frost demons came to be. While the Saiyans had their innate skills at combat and warfare, and the Namekians had their natural mystic prowess and regenerative abilities, the Arcosians greatest trait was their ability to thrive and survive in the harshest of environments. Able to live for lengthy periods without heat, air or nutrients.

As King Cold's mothership descended through the swirling white clouds in the skies of Arcos the capital city of the planet, Suzeru,came into view. As was the case with all cities on Arcos, this area was covered with a dome like forcefield to protect from the inclement weather of the planet. It wasn't that the Arcosians had problems with the weather of course, it was simply difficult to maintain the structures of the cities against constant ravaging storms. The diameter of the forcefield extended about five miles past the boundaries of the city to allow for urban expansion.

The palace that King Cold's ship was descending onto was a paculiar looking building by human standards. The base was a large white pyramid that was roughly 30 storey's tall, a large purple window on each of it's sides which closesly resembled the bio-gems of the Cold family. The top of the pyramid had a tower attached to it that added about 10 storeys to the palace's height. The tower was effectively just a large comm tower, containing a powerful supercomputer which was used to coordinate information from all across the Planet Trade Organisation.

One of the large purple discs on the side of the pyramid opened up once King Cold's flying saucer was close enough, and the saucer set it's mechanical legs down on the palace's landing port. Inside the craft itself Frieza had made a brief detour into the med-bay, watching his damaged limbs getting repaired by the medicine machine. He looked over to the Litt scientist from earlier and pointed at him. The scientist gasped and shut his eyes tight, fully expecting a death beam to the stomach "You." Frieza said. The Litt slowly opened one eye, seeing Frieza gesturing for the Litt to come closer with his outstretched finger "I'm placing you in charge of watching my damaged limbs. Come with me into the palace." Frieza said, switching the medicine machine off.

The liquid within the tank took a few moments to drain fully, and once the door to the tank was open Frieza telekinetically extracted his legs, tail and arm from the tank. As he did in the remains of the Namekian solar system he formed an energy sphere around his limbs and towed them behind him as he _*clacked*_ along the corridors of the ship, heading for the landing ramp. The Litt scientist, both unable and unwilling to raise an objection to his reassignment, quietly followed behind the cyborg Frieza.

King Cold watched the two leave his craft with his buff arms folded over his chest. Frieza paused for a moment and looked to his father from over his shoulder "I shall see you again father." he said curtly, giving a nod and continuing to walk along. "Of course Frieza." Cold replied, standing still until the landing ramp shut behind Frieza and his scientist lackey. As soon as that hatch clicked shut, King Cold exhaled deeply and walked back to the bridge of the ship _'Something's definitely wrong with Frieza, and if he won't track down the Super Saiyan to deal with him...I suppose I'll have to contact Cooler and get his help on this matter.' _the frosty monarch thought to himself 'Nobody challenges the power of the Cold Family and gets away with it.'

Frieza and his Litt scientist walked along the corridors of the palace in silence until Frieza simply said "Name." The Litt blinked a few times and asked "E-excuse me my lord?" he asked. "Your name." Frieza said, looking over at the Litt with his piercing red eyes "M-Midgyo, sir." the avian scientist replied in a respectful manner. "Good. I like to know the names of my subordinates when they're doing something important from me. It makes their punishment feel that much more...personal if they make the stupid decision to fail me." Frieza remarked. Midgyo gulped hard.

The duo soon entered the throne room and were immediately greeted by two Arcosian women, both in their fully sealed forms and both wearing flowing white dresses. One had golden skin with navy bio-gems on her body, a pair of curved horns looping around the back of her head. The other had light violet skin, the bio gems on her arms and head being green in colour. She had a several small ebony horns dotted around the bio-gem on her head. "Welcome hord Lord Friez-AGH!" the two Arcosian women shrieked and hopped back once they got a good look at him. "L-Lord Frieza, is that you?" the golden Frost Demon asked.

"Polarri. Ais." Frieza greeted, nodding to the gold and purple Arcosian respectively. "I imagine your shock comes from seeing my unsealed form for the first time." he began, before raising his metallic arm up "Or possibly from seeing these temporary prosthetics. Or the disembodied limbs I'm carrying around behind me." he remarked calmly. Ais coughed into her violet fist "A little bit of all three, Lord Frieza...We're also shocked to see you alive, there's a rather persistant rumor that you were killed on Namek." Polarri nodded "We didn't believe it for a second, nobody could beat our great Lord Frieza!" she said proudly.

Frieza scowled for a second, well aware that he'd been beaten on Namek, just unwillig to admit it out loud. He forced a smile and gave his two serving girls a pat on the head with his fleshy hand "Well, the rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated, girls. Now then, give me a moment to show Midgyo here to the medical wing of the palace." Frieza said, walking past the duo with Midgyo and his energy sphere in tow. The two women floated above Frieza "Um, my Lord I hope I'm not speaking out of line here, but perhaps you should make an announcement to your subjects, let them know you're alive." Ais suggested. Frieza didn't even glance there way as he replied "Not yet. Busy, you see. I need to get my limbs repaired and reattached, then I need to train and get stronger so I can slaughter the fools that dared oppose me on that backwater garden planet in the space-boonies..."

Soon enough they reached the medical bay of the Cold Palace and set Frieza's dismembered limbs in a medicine machine, one of the newest and most advanced models in the North Galaxy. "How'd they...You know, get cut up like that?" Polarri asked, head tilted to one side. "A slight mishap with a new technique dear Polarri." Frieza replied, forming a purple Death Saucer in one hand for a few moments before dissipating it. Ais scratched her head "W-well, I suppose me and Polarri will keep watch on Midgyo here, show him around the palace if he needs a tour." Frieza gave a nod and turned to leave "Good girls. Midgyo, once my legs are healed send me a telepathic message. I have one or two other things I want you to give me during surgery." the Frost Demon Prince replied before he left.

He walked to the elevator closest to the med-bay and stepped inside, punching in the button for the training floor. It had been years since Frieza had been here, almost 100 years by his reckoning. Back when they were younger, he and Cooler would train and spar here for hours on end, occasionaly sparring with one of their parents. It was a rather large room beneath the palace itself, constructed with thick black Katchin walls so that the force of their sparring wouldn't shake Suzeru to the ground. There was a large control panel in the centre of the chamber which served as the training rooms environmental controls, handling gravity, heat and controlling the training drones.

It had been some time since Frieza saw any need to train, but he would need to now. He would get stronger, and he'd show the simian fool a terror far greater than Hell. A rage washed over Frieza, thinking back to the indignities suffered on Namek, the humiliation that golden chimp had forced upon him. He could see a ghostly image of this 'Goku' standing in the chamber with him, a few feet away. And he was _smirking_. The frosty tyrant grit his teeth and his purple aura flared to life, illuminating the black wallsof the training chamber "Disgusting simian, I'll make you pay for what you've caused me! Nobody humiliates the great Frieza like that, nobody will ever surpass me! I'm the mightiest being in the universe! Not you, ME!" As Frieza yelled to the Katchin roof, feeling more enraged now than he ever had before, he could feel...Something stirring inside him, some sort of power he couldn't recall ever sensing before. But he felt it's presence for a mere moment, and then it left him again. What could that have possibly been? He looked back and saw the apparation of Goku had dissapeared, and once again Frieza was alone.

* * *

Cooler stood amongst the ruins of a rebel camp on a moon known simply as Cooler 38-M, standing back to watch his Armoured Squadron round up the remaining rebel fighters. "Pathetic, simply pathetic. If you fools wish to oppose me, you could at least have the decency to be stronger than that." the lanky Frost Demon spat, crossing his purple arms over his white armoured chest. This rebel movement had existed for quite some time, but very recently they had been making more bold attacks against the colonies owned by the Cold Family. They'd been rather well equipped as of late, using swiped Planet Trade Organisation ships, armours and scouters. Seemed there was a traitor within the Organisation that needed to be severely disciplined for their treason. But first Cooler had to deal with these rebel traitors.

There were about 5 survivors in total, each of them the same race. Serpian's, a race of vaguely snake like people, their odd sausage-shaped heads being their most defining physical characteristics. "What shall we do with zese traitorous swine Lord Cooler?" Saulza, the lilac skinned Brench of the Armoured Squadron asked, flicking a lock of golden hair behind his ear. "Kill them." Cooler replied "I'd rather not clog up our prisons with them." One purple Serpian spat in Cooler's direction, the glob of saliva only making it about a metre away from him and landing nowhere near Cooler "You fucking monster! You think you can get away with shit like this for your whole life?! You'll be stopped, I swear it!" Cooler didn't even bother looking at him, continuing to look over at the Armoured Squadron.

"By your command, Lord Cooler!" Neiz replied, grinning wickedly and cracking his knuckles. It happened so fast that the human eye couldn't percieve their movements. Salza had formed his signature purple ki blade on his hand and decapitated three of the Serpian rebels with a single stroke of his arm. Neiz had fired a web of lightning from his gloved fingertips and fried one of the rebels into a charred corpse, laughing maniacally all the way. His laughter and the pained scream of his victim were quickly drowned out by the sound of crackling , the buff green alien of the Armoured Squadron, and flown straight at the last rebel, the purple Serpian, and kicked his head and neck clean off his shoulder with his signature Thruster Kick. The Serpian's sausage-shaped head sailed across the horizon of Cooler 38-M and kicked up a small cloud of dust as it landed on the barren grey landscape of the moon.

Doore gave a triumphant laugh "HA HA! YEAH! Touchdown!" he yelled. He paused and glanced to Salza "That's the saying, right?" Salza gave Doore a blank expression and blew some bright blonde hair from his pretty face "How ze Hell should I know?" he asked, his ki blade dissapearing off his gloved hand. "Good work boys. Hopefully that little display will give the rest of the rebels something to think about before they start acting out again." Cooler remarked.

The oldest son of King Cold took a seat on a smooth grey boulder and looked to his men "Now then boys, I believe it's about time y- What are you staring at?" Cooler asked, noting that his trio of guards were looking skyward. "Well Lord Cooler the scouters are picking up a huge poer level coming our way." Neiz replied. Doore punched his palm "Ha, we got this if it's more rebels." he remarked confidently. "Well unless my father suddenly decided to betray his own empire, I sorely doubt we're dealing with rebels." Cooler said, glancing at the new flying saucer heading toward Cooler 38-M. So Cooler and his inions stood about, watching as King Cold's mothership landed about a dozen feet away from Cooler's own. "Stay put." Cooler instructed his Armoured Squadron, before walking toward King Cold's craft, it's landing ramp extending down.

"Father." Cooler greeted as his giant of a father climbed down from his ship. While Cooler was taller than Frieza was in his fully released form, he was still short compared to his fathers second form. "I imagine you're here to talk to me about Frieza's demise on Namek?" he asked, fully believing the rumours. "Good to see you too, Cooler. And your brother isn't dead." he explained, his cape fluttering in the low winds of the moon. Cooler seemed slightly taken aback "R-really now? But I've heard that..."

King Cold cut him short "He's alive. He was grievously wounded on that...Namek planet, appearantly as a result of a Super Saiyan." he exlained. Cooler visibly tensed up at the term "What? That's just a stupid old story." King Cold gave a shrug "That's what I thought, but it's appearantly true...And he'd still out there, Frieza is unwilling to go after him." Cooler placed his hands on his hips and gave a small chuckle "Oh Frieza. One loss and you run off with your tail between your legs...So I take it you want me to deal with him" Cooler asked. The giant Arcosian king gave a nod "Indeed. This Super Saiyan was no doubt some sort of...genius if he was able to outwit Frieza." Cold remarked. Cooler rolled his eyes.

"Yes well, I shall accompany you. I want to see this so-called Super Saiyan's power for myself. Did Frieza say what planet the filthy monkey was heading to?" Cooler asked, mildly curious. King Cold and thought back to earlier "Ah yes, a planet called Earth. From here it should take a few months, it's a fair distance across the galaxy." Cooler shrugged "Oh well, nobody said managing a Galaxy-wide empire would be easy. And besides, if he could best Frieza we just might have found ourselves a decent opponent."

* * *

A/N: Woop! Chapter 3 is done. We'll be doing a little timeskip in the next chapter where Frieza has gotten his body recovered and undergoing his intense training, and even getting a new wardrobe. And FoF's equivilant of the Android Saga will begin in the next chapter with Cooler and King Cold landing on Earth. Now I will be making some noteworthy changes in canon when it comes to Earth, most notably all those who were on King Kai's planet in the Namek Saga now know the Kaioen (Piccolo included even if he didn't train, he learned through observation.) Seriously, it was a really useful technique particularly for the human character, and despite learning from King Kai the guys magically didn't learn the technique that could help them stay relevant for longer!

In the period between revival and King Cold's arrival on Earth Krillin has also been taught thetechnique by Tien, just to give him the bonus too. At this stage the guys can use up to Kaioken x10 with minimal strain and are learning higher levels of the technique. Their battle with the Ginyu Force on King Kai's planet is also canon in this, because honestly the humans deserve their moment of awesome.

Now, one review to answer on this chapter from FoolsGil. Yeah the idea did come from Honor Trip, as I mentioned in Chapter 1. And I am fully aware that it's harder to redeem Frieza compared to cell and Buu. With Cell and Buu there's at least some sort of excuse in that they were created and had no choice in the matter, whereas Frieza was raised to be evil and did have a choice. Now in the fic I want to show that Frieza's dickishness was something learned from his father who became Frieza's sole mentor after his more level-headed mother was killed off.

As for whether or not Frieza will be punished for his past, rest assured frieza will endure ALOT of crap in future chapters, and he'll certainly be getting a taste of his own medicine. While the goal is to turn Frieza into a hero, that won't come about without growth and change, and to do that Frieza will have to endure his own hells and realise "Wow I have just been a dick my entire life." So yeah, guys thanks for the reads, stay tuned for future chapters.


	4. Repaired

Frieza had soon been reattached to his old flesh and blood limbs, only some small scars marking where he'd been fixed. Following that however he decided to keep Midgyo around. Despite being a nervous wreck, the dark green avian was a good doctor to have on hand. And plus Ais and Polarri had taken a liking to the little guy, finding him welcoming company in the Cold Family palace. The most important thing to Frieza now though, was that he was repaired.

Despite his body now being repaired, Frieza still hadn't transformed back into his sealed forms yet, finding the training would be much smoother now if he was holding nothing back. In the 8 months that had passed since he was brought back to Arcos by his father, Frieza had trained tirelessly in the gravity chamber. Arcos' gravity was already roughly 20 times stronger than the gravity on Earth, so by Earth standards Frieza was quickly training at 250 times stronger than the gravity on Earth, and when that became easy to endure he pused it to 300, and when he could handle that he went even further beyond. He had managed to increase his power level at 100% from 120, 000, 000 to 128, 800, 000 and at his current 50% power he was at 64, 400, 000. An impressive leap but that was to be expected given how relentlessly he trained. He hadn't even made a public appearance since he was fully restored, focused soley on his training.

Though,the Frost Demon had taken the time to get a new wardrobe. Unlike Cooler or his mother, Frieza wasn't much of a fan of walking about naked in his released form longer than he needed to be, so he'd ordered some new gear. Shoulderless battle armour, purple in colour with a golden trim. Black undersuit, purple metallic gauntlets and purple boots with a golden trim. He did have a red cape too, but he didn't actually wear it when he was training. It would only get in his way...

Right now, Frieza was busy training his speed at 320 times Earths gravity, dodging high powered energy beams being launched from turrets surrounding the walls and ceiling of the large training chamber. Frieza dodged and spun around a volley of golden energy beams being blasted from the left wall of the chamber, leaving small scorch marks on the Katchin floor which disappeared almost as quickly as they appeared. "Hah!" Frieza yelled out, a purple death beam flying from his finger and shooting down one wall turret in a small flash of golden light. The tyrants eyes glowed slightly, and a small beeping ran in his brain. Smirking, Frieza leapt skyward in the dense gravity of the training chamber, avoiding an energy beam to the back.

Ah yes, the added enhancement from Midgyo. Frieza didn't even have the faintest idea of how to sense energy, nobody on Arcos did...So Frieza asked for the next best thing, a scouter-like device built into Frieza's eyes. His eyes had been implanted with small sensors which could detect Ki signals and their sources, however to prevent the explosion problem caused by incredibly high power levels, Midgyo had designed these sensors to stop reading the exact power levels of a person past a certain point. If Frieza were to encounter anyone with a power level above 200 million, their power level would simply be registered as 'Immeasurable.' Midgyo assured Frieza that as time went on he'd be able to upgrade the sensors to read even higher power levels, but all Frieza cared about was being able to detect incoming attacks. Midgyo had also stated that the implants had been designed in such a way that they could changed shape with Frieza's eyes if he were to ever change form.

The Frost Demon prince stayed in the air, his new sensors detecting beams coming in from all angles. Straining hard, Frieza formed a purple energy barrier around his body grunting with the effort to keep it up against the seemingly unending barrage. The Arcosian yelled out in rage, and his barrier exploded outward, deflecting and scattering the turrets energy attacks all over the katchin chamber, even managing to destroy some of the wall-mounted guns though friendly fire. "I won't make that mistake again..." Frieza growled, wiping some sweat from his pale brow before flying around the chamber again.

Purple sparks of energy formed on the tyrants inde fingers, and he started releasing barrages of Death Beams, taking out several of the turrets with the bombardment and weaving in and out of incoming energy beams. Frieza's eyes beeped, warning him of several incoming strikes. But, Frieza couldn't respond in time, getting blasted in the back, the ribs and the left shoulder, leaving small scorches in his purple battle armour. Frieza grunted in pain, and with his concentration briefly broken the Arcosian was slammed into the Katchin floor by the ultra-heavy gravity. Frieza snarled and powered up again to handle the strain being forced on his weary body, and then raised one arm up to form his new and improved Death Saucer.

From a purely aesthetic point of view nothing had changed, a dark purple disc of ki that acted like a buzzsaw. But, Frieza had changed it so that the attack couldn't be so easily used against him. No, this new Death Saucer had a lifespan. 10 seconds after being formed, the purple ki disc would explode. And of course, if it was redirected toward him before it's lifespan ran out, Frieza could detonate the disc manually with a hand gesture.

Frieza gave a yell and flung the disc at the ceiling of the chamber, the disc slicing through several turrets with the ease of a hot knife going through butter. He swung his hand down and the ki disc followed his gesture, getting to the centre of the left chamber wall. Frieza smirked and clenched his white fist, the Death Saucer exploding and destroying several turrets with the small blast. Frieza was about to continue his turret genocide until he heard a voice buzz in over the training chambers intercom_"Ah, Lord Frieza, we're recieving a transmission from your brother, you might want to get up here."_ Ais called out. Frieza scoffed, backflipping away from several incoming attacks "Why should I give my imbecile older brother the time of day?" he asked bluntly.

_"Well...He's with your father..."_ Ais added, making Frieza stop dead in his tracks. The icy tyrant shut his eyesand exhaled through his nose, before calling out "Training Room, shut off gravity and turrets!" At that moment the turrets retracted into the walls and the air became much lighter as the gravity restored to normal. Wordlessly, Frieza drifted toward his elevator, feeling both incredibly sore and pleased with himself. Once the elevator slid open, Frieza walked out and was greeted with Polarri and Ais taking each of his hands and leading him to a different chamber of the palace "This way Lord Frieza, w-we really don't wanna keep our brother or father waiting..." Polarri said. Ais rolled her eyes "Believe me, I remember the last time we did that...Not a fun experience."

"I'd imagine not." Frieza said, taking his hands free of the Arcosian maidens grip, taking a moment to dust himself off. He sat down by a hover chair, similar to the one he had sat in on Namek, and the view screen before him showed Cooler's smirking visage "Ah, little brother, so good to see you in one piece..." Frieza rolled his eyes, no doubt father had told him what happened on Namek. "What do you want brother? I was under the impression father would be the one speaking to me in this little video chat."

"He's in his own ship right now Frieza, calm yourself. As for what I want, well it's simple...I heard all about your little tussle with a so-called Super Saiyan and I wanted to try my hand against him. So father and I are heading to Earth to do to this chimp, what you failed to do yourself." Cooler explained, getting comfy in his own large hover chair. Frieza's lip quivered slightly and then he burst out laugh, throwing his head back as roars of laughter escaped his lips. He was laughing for a good few moments before he flicked a tear from the corner of his eye "H-honestly brother, I don't know why you've never tried your hand as a stand-up comic." Frieza mocked. Cooler remained smug.

"You've always been weaker than me Cooler, that's just a very simple fact that will never I lost to the Super Saiyan, what are you going to do? Tickle him to death with your pathetic punches?" the Arcosian mocked again. Cooler chuckled and shook his head "Oh Frieza believe me, you'll see what I have in store soon enough. I've asked father to not blow up the planet just so I could sample this monkey's power for myself, and I'm launching out a video probe to just so you can watch the whole display." Frieza gave a titter of laughter "Well Cooler, I always knew that I'd watch you die, I just always thought I'd be watching myself kill you..." Cooler's aura slowly became more visible and he finally said "Watch and see little brother, watch and see..." before the video feed cut out fully.

* * *

A full year had gone by after the lengthy battle between Goku and Frieza on Namek, and despite escaping the planet in one of the Ginyu's attack balls the Super Saiyan hadn't returned to Earth. His son, Gohan, sighed wearily as he looked through his textbooks. His mother always pushed him to study, and while it was a pain in the ass he felt that it was necessary. And he supposed Chi-Chi couldn't be blamed for not wanting to force her son away from a life of fighting, after some of the things she'd seen between Piccolo and Goku at the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament she likely didn't want the same things to happen to him...

Gohan gave a sigh and propped his head up on his hands "I wonder what dad's doing...I wonder why he doesn't want to come back...?" he asked aloud, staring out the window. Then the youth snapped to attention, a massive power level catching his attention. He hastily grabbed his ringing phone, greeted with the voice of Krillin's voice on the other end "Ah, Krillin!" he greeted. _"You felt that massive power too, right?!"_ the bald monk asked. "It's...It's an evil power!" _"Yeah, and it's heading right fr the planet at high speeds! It..it feels like Frieza's!" _Krillin exclaimed. Indeed, everyone was well aware the Frost Demon had been spared on the dying planet Namek. The reactions of the group were mixed, but Vegeta and Piccolo were the most pissed about the news. Piccolo had been fuming because the monster who slaughtered almost all Namekians in the galaxy and destroyed their homeworld was allowed to continue living, and Vegeta had been enraged because the person who stole everything from him and tormented him since he was a boy had gotten to continue living. Gohan paused a moment, sensing the massive powers "It's...It's similar but I don't know..." he said.

* * *

In the massive sprawling Diablo Desert, Piccolo looked skyward as he too sensed the incoming evil energy "Kuh...Only a matter of time I suppose..." he snarled, his white cape being blown by the slow winds of the desert. The Namekian's white aura flared to life before he took off for where he assumed the incoming enemies would land.

* * *

Outside the central Capsule Corp HQ, Vegeta clenched his fist and fumed with anger as the ki reached him too. "Damnit...I knew one of them would come here..." he growled. Yamcha's eyes widened in terror as he felt the awe-inspiring power heading toard Earth "Is that...Frieza?!" he asked. "No." Vegeta grunted, crossing his arms "It's the next worst thing though..." he added. Bulma, obviously unable to sense ki, raised a brow and asked "What's going on?"

Vegeta punched his palm "That idiot Kakkarot let Frieza live! Now Frieza's father and brother are heading here to take revenge, assuming that he's here!" he yelled, the prince's pink shirt being blown about by his flaring aura. _'I swear Kakkarot, you better get back here and quickly, so I can punch you for causing this damn mess!'_

* * *

In a different part of the world, Tien and Chiaotzu's training session was ended abruptly when both of them caught the evil Ki heading for earth. Tien's three eyes widened as he realised that there was more than one power, and his midget friend was stunned into complete and utter silence by the scale of their ki. "He's not alone! There's another, even greater ki!" Tien yelled, clenching his fists.

"Well, what're you two idiots waitin' for?!" a female voice yelled from nearby. Tien glanced over to see Launch standing in the doorway of a capsule house, a rocket launcher in her hands "Let's go get these bastards!" the fiery blonde schizophrenic yelled. "Er Launch maybe you sh-" Chiaotzu tried to object but was promptly silenced by a glare from Launch "Um...Okay, let's go..."

* * *

Gohan quickly donned the Saiyan armour he'd been given on Namek and flew from his small family home on Mount Paozu, ignoring the yells of his mother who was currently being held back by her father the Ox King. The youth continued flying, heading over a small city as he went _'I can't believe this is happening! This is a nightmare dad!'_ he thought to himself, his heart beating faster than it ever had in his entire life. Despite all the training everyone had done since they returned from Namek, he knew nobody was as powerful as Frieza or his father was as a Super Saiyan, even with their Kaioken abilities. Gohan was soon joined by someone as short as him, wearing a familiar Turtle School orange gi "Krillin!" Gohan greeted, happy to see a friendly face in what could very well be the end of the world.

"It's two ki signatures, both of them feel alot like Frieza's...Such enormous power..." Krillin remarked, a small smirk gracing his face. "What does it mean" Gohan asked, causing Krillin to shake his head "I don't know, but I plan on finding out what the hell's going on!" the bald monk exclaimed. The duo kept flying until the reached a massive dusty clearing, to see that they were the last here "Look, Gohan, there they are!" Krillin exclaimed, pointing down at the crowd of fighters, and Bulma and Launch, who had gathered. "And look, Piccolo's here too!" Gohan added, having not seen the stoic Namekian for the longest time.

"Yo!" Bulma greeted, waving at the two Z-warriors. Gohan could see Vegeta was with them, the Saiyan prince having stayed at Capsule Corp since he returned from space. He'd been training intensly and even with his ki supressed Gohan could tell Vegeta had made some major prgress. He might'veeven been stronger than Goku was before he became a Super Saiyan...Sadly not enough of an improvement to overwhelm the large ki's heading toward earth. A large CHOOM sound rang through the wasteland, and Gohan could hear Piccolo yell out "THEY'RE HERE!" as a pair of Flying Saucer's appeared in the skies above.

The ground shook and quaked as the saucer's flew overhead, the pair of them going past the gathered warriors and landing in a rocky clearing together. "Nobody fly over there, understand? We have to get over there quietly so we're not detected." Vegeta said, gritting his teeth in anger. Yamcha was completely flabbergasted by the awe-inspiring ki he was sensing "This...This is Frieza's power? This isn;t funny man, what are we supposed to do when we get over there? One of these bastards would be hard to handle, now there's two...There's nothing we can do!" Piccolo scoffed "So what do you plan on doing, standing here and rotting? We have to try at least." A grim smile crossed Vegeta's face "To tell the truth, it's the end of the world..." Yamcha clenched his fists "Great...I'm gonna die right after being brought back."

Tien narrowed his three eyes and stared into the distance, where the two fearsome aliens had landed "I've lived my life trying to protect the earth from people I knew were stronger than me...King Piccolo, Nappa, Vegeta...And now these two demons. If I die I'm going to die fighting. I'm going to fly over there and hit those two with everything I have, and even if I fail and I die I'll die free...Because I'll die knowing I did everything I could to protect my home. And I'll be free..." Launch stepped over and gripped the sleeves of Tien's white vest, pulling the former Crane student in for a deep kiss. As their lips parted the blonde gave him a playful punch in the arm "For luck. You better go kick their asses Tien." Launch said, smirking at him.

"I'm with Tien." Piccolo said, tossing his turban and cape away, cracking th ground from their weight when they landed. "Yeah, dad would want me to protect the earth no matter what! I'm in!" Gohan said, lining up with his green-skinned mentor. Vegeta scoffed "I'd rather not waste the time or the energy stopping you idiots, so let's go. I'm going to punch those damn Arcosians back into that frosty hell they call home!" With that, Tien, Piccolo, Gohan and Vegeta started flying off to where the two saucer's had landed. Chiaotzu, Krillin and Yamcha hung back for a moment and looked at each other for a few moments, before Krillin gave a sigh and said "It's been an honour you guys..." before flying off with the others.

* * *

"Alright, set that video probe up. Frieza is in for quite a shock, let me tell you..." Cooler ordered his tecnhical crew, before he and his Armoured Squadron departed from the flying saucer in time to see King Cold leaving his own saucer. Cooler looked up to see what looked like a black sphere with a satellite dish atop it being launched from the roof of his mothership, floating several dozen metres in the air.

"Hmph, I see the importance in taking care of this Super Saiyan, I just don't see why we couldn't just blow the planet up..." King Cold remarked, letting one large hand rest on his hip. "I told you father, I wanted to test this Saiyan's power myself...Still, I thought he'd be here waiting for us when we landed. I suppose we'll need to find a way to pass the time, or find a way to draw the chimp out of hiding." Salaza smirked and looked back to his lord "Set fire to every human city? Burn ze monkey out of his hiding place and have some fun in ze process?" he asked. "Oh a capital idea. That boy deserves a promotion Cooler," King Cold said, ready to fly up and have some fun...Until he noticed a lavender haired youth standing about 20 feet away from the flying saucers.

* * *

"Well, there's the tree alright. Good to know it wasn't several months spent on a wild goose chase." General Kanchapp remarked, as he Abo and Kado stood on a dusty overlook. They were quite a distance from the gargantuan tree but even still they couldn't see the whole thing. The damn plant was visible from space! "This is a pretty green planet, the tree will likely make a very powerful crop." the Zaltian said, smirking to himself "Only problem now is taking care of the crew who own this damn thing..." he said, roaming over the four aliens who had planted the tree on this once lush planet called Atenberough.

They were a mismatched group to say the least. A one-eyed Brench seemed to be the leader, crimson skin with short spikey green hair. He was wearing a scuffed up white battle armour,and high black boots, all most likely stolen, and had a dusty brown cloak over the shoulderless armour. The two insectoid aliensof the group, which looked like a pair of humanoid mantes, wore very little. Silver arm guards and spiked silver shoulder guards and black trousers with nothing to cover their feet. Finally there was the Yardrat of the group, now he was something else. He had the same large head that the rest of his species had, with the elf ears and weird tentacle moustache, but he was far taller and more muscular than any other Yardrat that Kanchapp had ever seen before. He had dark purple skin, marked by green blotches on various parts of his body. He wore little more than crimson pants and bulky black boots.

The Zaltian general looked over at Abo and Kado, the two alien brothers busily scanning over the brigands with their scouters "Merge. Now." Kanchapp ordered, making the twins blink in surprise "I can tell right now that these guys are stronger than your base form, and the last thing I need is you idiots getting killed and sticking me with all the work." he explained. "Right!" the twins said in unison. They discarded their scouters and stood side by side, grunting as a crimson aura flared around them. There was a flash and then once it anished their was a giant, spikey and purple-skinned alien standing before Kanchapp, clad in black battle armour. "Aka, reporting for duty." the giant said in his booming, gruff voice.

Kanchapp nodded and powered up, his blue aura shooting upward and cracking the ground. Aka followed suit and powered up as well, his flame-like green aura surrounding his whole body. And once they powered up, they flew from the crumbling rocky overlook, heading straight for the brigands who planted the Tree of Might.

"Damnit all, when's the fruit gonna grow?!" the giant hulking Yardrat snapped, looking over at the Brench who was lazily resting on one massive branch "Easy Ramena, it'll grow when it's ready, relax..." he remarked, giving a yawn. "I can't wait personally...I mean on a planet like this, the energy from the tree will be immense!" one of the mantis creatures remarked, rubbing his clawed hands together in anticipation. He gave a shriek of pain and stumbled forward as a blue sparking beam of ki hit him in the back. "No doubt. Shame you boys won't be the ones to get that boost..." General Kanchapp remarked, smoke billowing from his outstretched palm.

* * *

A/N: Bam, now we're gonna get into the action next chapter. Kanchapp and Aka are gonna brawl the brigands for the Tree of Might and Cooler and King Cold are gonna duke it out with Trunks and the Z-fighters. In this story it's not just going to be Trunks fighting them in this battle, all the warriors will get a chance against him.

Ah yes one thing I'm sure you may have noticed is that Launch exists in this continuity. Yes, she was a major supporting character in the original manga and I think Z royally screwed her over by simply pushing her out of existance. She won't really play a major role in anything, but hell I just wanted to show that she exists. And yes she's hooked up with Tien at this stage, something I imagine would have happened if she hadn't simply been dropped once Z came around.

Okay, so, one review to answer to from Zengame. As it stands, Piccolo can now exceed Vegeta's base form with a sufficient Kaioken multiplier. Krillin and Tien are in and around the 1 million mark in their base forms, so even with Kaioken Vegeta's base is stronger than them. Yamcha is only stronger than Frieza's first form now so no, he can't match Vegeta's base even with Kaioken. And Chiaotzu...Well he's not even worth mentioning. Vegeta has had access to better training than the rest of the Z-fighters, being able to use the gravity chamber, so in the one year gap he has managed the most improvement.

Don;t worry about it, Kaioken won't remain a trump card for the whole fic, it'll just be something for the humans to use whenever they get into a scrap. As for Piccolo, well...He'll be getting a rather special power-up by the end of the Cell Games. That's all I'm telling for now.


	5. Shocked

"More wine, Lord Frieza?" Ais asked, holding a bottle of red wine on a tray before Frieza. Frieza swilled his glass around in his hand and then glanced away from his view screen "Just top me off Ais." he remarked, letting her fill his glass up as he focused his attention back onto the viewscreen. Right now he could see his brother and father being confronted by some teenager with lavender-coloured hair, and the icy tyrant had to wonder just who this boy was.

"I don't see Goku." Frieza said simply as he sipped on his wine. "And this sword-weilding earthling certainly wasn't on Namek..." he added. "He sure is cute though~" Polarri purred, peering over her lord's shoulder. Frieza rolled his eyes and Midgyo scoffed "You say that about every male, Polarri..." the Litt remarked. Frieza refocused his attention on the view screen, listening to Cooler exchange words with the sword-wielding boy.

* * *

"And just what do you want Earthling?" Cooler asked impatiently, his tail hitting the ground a few times. The young man's lavender hair blew in the wind, and he reached to clasp the sword on the back of his navy Capsule Corp jacket "I'm here to kill you..." he said simply. King Cold gave a small titter "Brave words for an Earth Man." Cooler hummed and let his hands rest on his hips "Tell me boy...Is your name Goku?" he asked, one brow raised up. The young man smirked "Sorry, not me. I know he's on his way, but...Well you won't be alive to see him." Cooler gave a loud yawn and then gazed back at the boy in the blue jacket "I don't much care for empty threats. Salza, Neiz, Doore...Kill him." he ordered.

At his order, his trio of guards flipped over him and struck their ridiculous poses. Trunks supressed a snicker. Salza paused as he saw the sword on Trunks' back and smirked "Ah, a sword? How about a game of blades mon ami?" he asked cockily, his ki blade forming on his right hand. The lavender haired boy smirked and pulled his sword from it sheath, holding the heavy metal blade as if it was lighter than air "After you perdant." he mocked. His words made Salza growl, and with a determined yell he leapt forth with his ki blade held high.

There was the sound of metal clashing against the ki blade and then a loud squelching sound. Salza's fingers flew off his hand, leaving bloody trails in the air before the plopped into the dirt. Salza stumbled back, at a loss for words "Y-you...You cut off my fingers..." he said shakily, too in shock to even scream as he examined the bloody stump that had been his hand. "Looks like I win." Trunks replied, smirking as blood slid off his gleaming sword, mingling with the bloodied trails left by Salza's discarded fingers. Salza snarled in rage and pain, launching his hand out and firing a massive energy beam which engulfed Trunks entirely. "Bastard!" Salza spat, trembling with pain and rage. And then once the smoke cleared, the young Brench was trembling in fear, seeing that his energy beam hadn't even damaged Trunks' hair. Doore and Neiz seemed equally shocked, while Cooler and King Cold watched with mild amusement "Well, this earth man really is something..." King Cold remarked.

Cooler stopped and looked up to see Tien, Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan, Krillin, Yamcha and Chiaotzu fly in above the two flying saucers. "Hm, more Earthlings." Cooler said. "Uh, who's the guy with the sword?" Krillin asked, more focused on Trunks that the Cold Family right now. Vegeta grit his teeth "I knew it, Cooler and King Cold...Cooler's a weakling compared to Frieza, but his father...Well I have no idea how powerful he is at all..." King Cold smirked at Vegeta "Well well, if it isn't the monkey king. You're not the Super Saiyan, I know that much..." That remark caused a vein to throb on Vegeta's forehead, and his purple aura ballooned in size. "Oh? Did I strike a nerve?" Cold remarked coyly.

Trunks seemed to be frozen in place, gazing at his father in awe and wonder. He never knew his father in his own timeline, but Vegeta seemed alot like his mother described him...Sans the pink shirt and banana coloured pants. Still, Trunks couldn't say a word about this to Vegeta yet. In this point in time he hadn't even been concieved yet...

Trunks was snapped from his thoughts when he heard a yell of rage from his father, and he watched as the Saiyan prince flew past his field of vision and punched King Cold square in the jaw. The Frost Demon monarch stumbled back slightly from the punch, a look of shock on his wrinkled face. But before he could counter Vegeta kicked him in the ribs with all his might, cracking the king's armour and making him stumble again "I won't stand idly by and let some wrinkled freak like you mock me!" Vegeta yelled, slamming both his feet into King Cold's chest and cracking his armour again. This time King Cold did not stumble, he firmly gripped Vegeta's ankles and glared up at him, looking very, very cross.

King Cold flung Vegeta up and smashed him into the ground repeatedly, leaving a massive crater and covering the Saiyan Prince and dust and scratches. The Arcosian King kicked Vegeta square in the gut and sent him sailing through the air. "Fa-Vegeta!" Trunks exclaimed, watching him as he flew away from the force of King Cold's blow. Doore, seeing an opportunity, flew over and yelled his lungs out, kicking Trunks square into the jaw. He was shocked to see that Trunks hadn't been budged an inch by the kick, and seemed to barely even register the blow "That's it, I'm not wasting any more time on you!" Trunks yelled, powering up and launching the Armoured Squadron away. Cooler stood stoic against the onslaught of Trunks' base power "Well, this is interesting..."

* * *

The group of space pirates stood dead still as they saw General Kanchapp and Aka floating above them "C-crap, Planet Trade guys! I knew they'd be after us at some point!" one of the mantis creatures exclaimed, jittering with worry. The Brench scowled "Only two? Pfft, we can kick their asses while we wait for the tree to give us it's fruit." he said cockily. "Oh, is that so?" Kanchapp asked, one brow raised "Bring it on then, pretty boy."

As the Brench charge skyward at the Zaltian general, Aka landed before the remaining three brigands and loudly cracked his neck "Alright...Bring it on!" the purple giant exclaimed, clenching his fists. The two mantes aliens yelled and rushed Aka, and there was a storm of punches being exchanges between the trio. The claws of the mantes were cutting into Aka's spikey arms but otherwise they weren;t doing all the much at all to him. Aka gave a maniacal laugh and punched both of his foes in their faces, sending them spiralling away into the dirt of the ruined planet. "Haha! Fools, is that all you can do?!" he yelled out.

The purple alien paused, the ground around him lighting up red. He looked up just in time to see the buff Yardrat's energy beam engulfing him. The mantes were chittering and laughing at the sight "Take that, purple bastard!" one yelled "Yeah, up yours!" Then the dust settled, and Aka stood amongst a dusty crater. A large chunk of his black battle armour had been blown off, exposing scarred and burnt purple flesh. Still, Aka was smirking "Not bad..." he said, moving his giant arms from above his head "Damage would've been alot worse if I hadn't blocked at the last moment..."

He looked at the Yardrat "You and me are gonna get along swell. But first..." Aka trailed off and rushed one of the mantis twins. The spindly green creature shrieked in terror and fired a large energy wave at Aka, and while it slowed his flight slightly and left more burns in his alien flesh, it did not stop him. Aka gave a manic laugh and punched the mantis square in the torso, denting and warping the metal of the alien's armour in the shape of his gargantuan knuckles. The mantis gave a strangled gasp of pain but managed to give off another punch with his other arm, punching Aka in his misshapen jaw and causing him to stumble back a step. He rubbed the red whelt on his cheek and smirked "Ya done?" Aka asked, smirking still.

Before the mantis alien could respond or run or attack again, Aka gripped his hand and flung him toward the other Mantis who was preparing to fly away. **"WahahanoHA!"** Aka yelled out, launching a massive energy beam from his mouth. It moved faster than the mantes could fly, engulfing both of them and causing a massive explosion in the distance, leaving a smooth, scorched crater in the ruined planet. "Hmph...Alright Yardrat, you're next..." Aka growled, looking up at the other giant floating high above.

Kanchapp and the Brench space pirate were exchanging a storm of punches and kicks as they flew higher and higher into the air, still unable to even see the top of the Tree of Might. The Brench gave a grunt of exertion, pulling his arn back and launching it forth for an air-pressure attack, the gust nailing Kanchapp in the gut and smashing him into the tree, splintering the alien wood on impact. Kanchapp popped his eyes open to see an energy beam forming on every finger on the Brench's outstretched hand. The Zaltian dodged the incoming attacks quickly and prepped his own counter-attack.

The frog-like alien dashed forward and punched the space pirate in the cheek, sending the red-skinned alien spiralling through the sky from the force of the impact. Kanchapp flew in again, giving a roar of triumph as he swung a kick out at the Brench, who narrowly raised an arm up to deflect the kick. With his free arm, the Brench launched a blue energy ball at Kanchapp's chest, enveloping the Zaltian in smoke and launching him back a few feet.

Kanchapp quickly corrected himself in mid-air, a cocky smirk on his face. The blast had scorched and cracked his battle armour in areas, and it had left a few scuffs on his skin...But otherwise he seemed to be unharmed. "Not bad boy...Now what do you say we move on from this little warm-up?"

* * *

Cooler and Trunks had quickly started their brawl, moving faster than the eye could and leaving massive shockwaves in the air from wherever their fists or legs collided. Vegeta, meanwhile had managed to stop his flight after being knocked skyward, and he quickly pulled both his arms behind his head, purple lightning crackling all around his body **"GALLICK...GUN!"** he roared, launching a massive purple energy beam toward King Cold. The frosty monarch grunted and quickly raised his arms up as the blast hit, tearing up the rocky mesa he had been standing on. The giant had been completely engulfed by the energy wave, and once the beam exploded he had actually been flung away from where he was standing.

King Cold stood up, his armour practically gone and his cape now little more than a scrap of fabric, and glared up at Vegeta "Alright 'prince'...If that's what you want..." he growled, flying up into the air toward the Saiyan prince. Cold swung a punch out, which Vegeta narrowly dodged, and recieved a hard kick to his purple shoulder for his troubles. Cold gave a pained grunt but swung out with a backhand, smacking Vegeta in the face and paunching him into a large rock formation which exploded to dust on impact "Damnit...He's slower than Frieza, but he can punch harder..." the prince said as he stood up from the rubble and spat in the dirt.

Meanwhile, the Armoured Squadron had managed to pluck themselves up, glaring at the other Z-fighters "Hmph...They can't all be that tough..." Doore grunted. Krillin grinned and powered up "Kaioken times three!" he yelled, his white aura turning crimson and growing in size. He flew forward, faster than Doore could keep up with, and punched the green skinned giant in the abs. Doore gave a pained wheeze from the punch and his eyes bulged from his head from the force of the strike. But he wasn't given any time to recover, before Krillin swiftly roundhouse kicked him across the horizon.

"D-Doore!" Neiz stammered out in shock, visibly trembling in fear. Seeing a chance to strike, Gohan divebombed after the Zaltian and started hammering into Neiz' chest with kicks and punches, shattering and cracking his battle armour wherever his hits landed. Neiz was giving strangled gasps and grunts of pain from the blows, but he managed to block one strike and then kicked Gohan square in the jaw, launching the young half-Saiyan into the dusty plains. Gohan groaned and rubbed his bloodied up lip, and when he looked up his eyes widened at the sight of Neiz outstretched hands crackling with lightning "Eat my Bind Wave, you little shit!" the amphibian yelled, a net of lightning shooting from his fingers.

Gohn braced himself for the incoming attack, but he quickly found himselfbeing flung away from the Bind Wave by Piccolo who cried out in pain as his green body was wreathed in electricity. "Hmph, fried slug is just as good as fried human..." Neiz said cockily, approaching Piccolo. The Namekian smirked as Neiz approached "Gotcha'." he said simply, gripping the Zaltian's hand. Neiz shrieked in agony as the electricity was forced back into his body, frying him to a burnt corpse and killing him instantly. "Huh, these guys remind me of the Ginyu Force...They were pretty dumb too." Tien said, watching as Piccolo dumped Neiz charred remains on the ground as if he was tossing away some garbage.

"How dare you compare us to zat purple freak and his loser brigade!" Salza roared, cracking the ground as he powered up. He flew at Tien and launched a flurry of kicks, swipes striking Tien's ribs and shoulders and forcing the triclops back a few steps. Tien took a hard boot to the face and was knocked in the air, quickly correcting himself and wiping the blood away from under his nose. "Alright, if that's how it's going to be...**KAIOKEN!"** Tien yelled, his body taking on a crimson hue. Faster than Salza could react to, Tien had swooped down and punched him straight in the abs, the force of his punch shattering the ground beneath Salza. The strike launched the Brench into the air, and he barely managed to correct himself mid-air before he heard **"KAIOKEN TIMES FIVE!"**

The blonde pretty boy turned just in time to see Yamcha barelling toward him. The wounded and fatigued soldier could not, however, react in time to the onslaught of punches that the Kaoiken enhanced human rained down on him. **"Wolf Fang FIST!"** Yamcha yelled out, his fists pounding at Salza's face and torso. The stunned and wounded Brench saw one final thing in his life...Yamcha putting his hands together and swinging them straight at Salza's face with enough force to snap his neck...Like the jaws of a hungry wolf.

Across the battlefield, the sole survivor of the Armoured Squadron stirred awake "Bald stumpy freak..." Doore grunted as he sat up in the crater he formed. "Hey now, no need for name calling." Krillin mocked, floating up behind him. The green giant gave a yell and punched at Krillin, decking him in the jaw and smashing him clean through a large bouder which turned to dust on impact. Krillin managed to hop up, a purple bruise forming on his cheek from Doore's blow, but he was given little time to recover as he saw a sphere of white ki forming in the green man's jaws.

"RAGH!" Doore roared out, the bolt of ki heading Krillin's way. The turtle student yelped and blocked against the attack. It hit his arms and let off a powerful explosion, scorching the bald monks arms before flinging him back across the dusty plain. "Okay...That's smarts..." he grunted. He could hear Doore's howling voice in the air above him, and when Krillin looked up he saw Doore divebombing toward him with one arm pulled back. "Okay, guess it's now or never..." Krillin said in a determined tone, pulling his own fist back.

**"KAIOKEN TIMES TEN!"** the bald monk roared out, his crimson aura exploding out and shattering the landscape around him. Their fists collided and released a massive shockwave through the air. However, Krillin's blow proved to be far stronger as the impact shattered every bone in his arms, his green skin tearing apart and sprays of blood shooting out and coating the dusty ground. Doore collapsed to the ground, giving strangled gasps of pain as he clutched his ruined arm, but he wasn't one to just give up. With his one remaining arm he started to charge up an energy beam, an action which caused Krillin to leap to the air with his crimson Kaoiken aura still flaring around him. He pulled one arm back and formed a golden energy beam which he launched at Doore's own strike. The beams clashed for a few moments but Krillin quickly overpowered the alien and his beam closed in on the screaming Doore. The blast engulfed him and the explosive noise of the attack drowned out his death scream...Only a smoking crater remained of Doore, and with his death the Armoured Squadron was simply no more.

* * *

Frieza slowly sipped on his wine while his two servant girls watched the battle unfold from over his shoulders "How is that bald midget alive? I blew him up myself on Namek." Frieza asked aloud. Ais gave a shrug "Maybe they have some of those wish-granting dragon testes on Earth too." she suggested, causing the icy tyrant to roll his eyes. "Ais we've been over it, they're called Dragon Balls because they're magic sphere that summon a dragon, not because they're...ugh, never mind..." the Arcosian prince remarked. He already knew Vegeta had come back from the dead as he saw him back on Namek before it's explosion, and he supposed the Namekian could've also survived the battle...but he definitely blew the bald human to bits.

"Hm, a possibility worth checking out. Still, no sign of Goku so my main reason of going to Earth is still non-existant." Frieza said, letting his chin rest on one hand. He tapped on the view screen and changed the camera's perspective to show Cooler's battle with the purple-haired boy. Cooler actually seemed to have a small advantage against the young man, kicking him clean through a rocky mesa. His older sibling pursued the earthling, dodging a sword-strike and then uppercutting his foe into the sky "I hate to say it, but Cooler seems to be doing quite well..." Frieza grumbled, polishing off his wine.

Frieza watched as Cooler floated down to a large rock spire and the three digits of the one foot that could stand on it beatly curled around the rock. "Well not bad for an Earthling, but if that's all you've got you'll never beat me." he mocked, staring into the air at Trunks who was wiping some blood off his face. Cooler didn't seem to be that fatigued from this battle and only had a few scuffs and scrapes on his body. Superficial damage, Cooler had endured worse...Trunks however had a few tears in his jacket on some bruises on his face, but otherwise he seemed fine.

The young man smirked and cocked a brow at Cooler "That so? Well then I guess I'll have to stop holding back..." he said, his body becoming wreathed in a white aura. His hair briefly flashed golden as it lifted up and defied gravity. Frieza's eyes widened in absolute shock and partial fear. "You came here for a Super Saiyan? Well you've got one!" Trunks said. A yell escaped his lips and his white aura turned golden and his hair floated up and took on a golden shine. "N-no..." Frieza croaked out, his wine glass hitting the polished floor and shattering. The Arcosian was shocked, more shocked than he had ever been in his entire life. Everyone else on the battlefield that Frieza could see on the view screen also seemed amazed, even his normally stoic father.

"Th-there's...more than one..." Frieza murmured.

* * *

Aka reeled back from a savage punch to the gut by the muscular Yardrat, and found himself being grabbed by the antenna and being flung airborn before he could react. Aka corrected himself mid-flight and managed to block another punch with his spikey arms, quickly hitting the Yardrat with a roundhouse kick and launch him toward the tree. The purple beast flipped through the air and both his feet landed firmly against the Tree of Might's monstorous bark "Hmph, that all?" the Yardrat scoffed, spitting out a broken tooth fragment.

The Yardrat stopped for a moment and looked to the sky above, watching as his Brench leader was getting hammered by Kanchapp, being bombarded with powerful punches and kicks. Quickly, the Yardrat placed two fingers to his purple forehead and focused on Kanchapp, before using his instant transmission to teleport right behind the Zaltian.

Kanchapp turned to face the Yardrat only to get promptly punched in the face, his cheek being warped by his foe's massive fists. Seeing a chnce to strike, the bruised and bloody Brench clenches both his fists together an struck Kanchapp straight between the shoulderblades, knocking him about a dozen metres through the air before he came to a halt. Not wanting to miss an opportunity, the wounded space pirate launched a crimson beam of ki toward the Zaltian, aimed straight from his head. And indeed when the beam disipated he couldn't see Kanchapp's head anymore. He gave a cocky smirkm until he saw the general's head rise up from the hole in his neck until he looked normal again, sans the massive lump on his cheek.

"That is some freaky shit..." the Brench grumbled. "Incoming!" the purple Yardrat yelled, pointing to Aka on the ground. **"Super WahahanoHA!" **Aka yelledm firing a massive mouth beam toward the two exhausted pirates. The Yardrat grunted and raised his hands up to block the attack. He managed to hold the green ki beam in place for a few minutes until it exploded violently, smashing him against the tree with such force that the weakened and wounded Yardrat couldn't actually free himself from the indentation. Through half-shut eyes he glanced to his Brench leader and weakly said "Sorry..." before he was engulfed and destroyed by another Super Wahahanoha which had blown an even deeper crater into the tree of might.

"You...Sons of bitches!" The Brench roared, his muscles bulking up slightly as he powered up to his very limit. He dashed at Kanchapp and punched him square in the gut, punching straight through the general's armour and making him gasp sharply and hiss in pain. Several punches rained down on the Zaltian's face and pecs, leaving dark purple bruises on his red skin, before the Brench kicked him away. Kanchapp grunted and kicked off one of the tree's massive branches to avoid an incoming ki blast, and quickly fired off a highly concentrated finger beam.

In his enraged state, the Brench barely registered the incoming blast until it was two late, and he had an apple-sized hole in his stomach. The Brench coughed and gagged up blood, trying to form something to say...It seemed he could not however. He simply relinquished whatever willm to live and fight he had left, and let gravity drag him to the ground below. Kanchapp watched his deceased foe fall and gave a snort, wincing slightly as the pain of his injuries caught up with him "Pretty sure he broke some ribs...but it's worth it now..." the Zaltian said with a broad smirk on his face, looking to the spikey glowing orange fruit in the branches above him.

* * *

A/N: Things are heating up now. Will Trunks be able to handle King Cold and Cooler once they both transform,or will Goku need to swoop in to save the day? Tune in next time to find out.

Now then, from the review sections I'm going to respond to the user Bakkasama. The Kaioken point is a valid one and while I can imagine the others having mre trouble learning the technique I imagine they could have still learnt it and then taught it to any others who wanted to know it. In terms of the Android/Cell saga, well the story will mainly focus on Frieza and his adventures in this saga but we'll get glimpses into what's happening to earth at the same time. The two storylines will converge around the Cell Games and Frieza will try to have his rematch with Goku, whereupon he'll change fully.

Can Cooler sense energy? Yes. I believe he can, particularly since he could supress his ki and get the drop on Piccolo in the first Cooler movie. He seems to have travelled far more than his brother if he could learn Instant Transmission, and I suppose he could have learnt these techniques from the Yardrats.


	6. Orphaned

There was a time in Frieza's life where he believed that Super Saiyans were just a ghost stories that Cooler would tell him to scare him before bed...And now here he was seeing the another Super Saiyan through this view screen. Two Super Saiyans existed in the same time period...and the revelation was something the terrified Frieza to his very core. He'd have to get even stronger now if he was to fight two at once it would seem...

From what the Arcosian prince could see on the view screen, Cooler and King Cold seemed to be equally shocked...Vegeta's facial expression was a mixture of confusion, surprise and frustration. While he wouldn't outright admit it, Frieza actually had a fleeting moment of empathy for the Saiyan Prince. "Th-that's what a Super Saiyan looks like...?" Polarri stammered out, her eyes as wide as dinner plates from shock. Ais gulped hard "It's different from the story of Chilled...They said he was killed by a golden Oozaru..." "I heard it was a figure that looked human but shone brighter than the sun..." Midgyo remarked. "No, I've seen the real thing. Gold hair and turquoise eyes..." Frieza murmured, netting his fingers together and leaning in further to watch the screen closer.

* * *

Cooler watched Trunks' golden aura shimmer and flicker like fire, his eyes widened as he felt Trunks' power. The young man's battle power must've been multiplied by fifty at least, a worrying increase. He thought back on the story of Chilled, how it was said the one he fought had golden hair and stern turquoise eyes...Still, this young man was a different person to the one Frieza had mentioned in his story, the lavender-haired boy even said so himself.

Trunks' face had shifted from a cocky smirk to a look of grim and stoic determination, and faster than Cooler could react to he planted his boot square in his abdomen, smashing him into the earth. He quickly hopped to his feet, only to get kicked back into the sky by Trunks who proceeded to smash Cooler around, teleporting around him and kicking him in different directions as if in the world's most bizarre game of pinball. Finally, as if getting bored, Trunks decked Cooler in the jaw and smashed him into the ground. King Cold had watched in shock through the whole display, unmoving, his battle with Vegeta put on hold for the time being.

Vegeta meanwhile felt his rage building with each passing moment as he saw Trunks' Super Saiyan power _'This is insanity! I'm the Prince of all Saiyans, I should be the ONLY Super Saiyan! First that idiot Kakkarot attained the power he never even knew existed, and now this...Complete stranger is using the power! It's maddening!' _he thought to himself, veins bulging as his power level increased. The prince swung a kick into King Cold's ribs, winding the monarch and making him growl in pain. Vegeta's fists moved so fast that they were mere blurs, rapidly punching King Cold's face into a bruised and bloody mess. Vegeta snarled and grabbed both of the king's horns, spinning him around for a few seconds before flinging him airborn.

As Cold was flung airborn he managed to pop one eye open, seeing a darkened figure against the sun above. As he drew closer to the figure he realised it was the Namekian from earlier, the one in the purple gi, his body glowing crimson. Piccolo clasped both his hands together and then above his head, before swinging them down and smashing King Cold in the face, launching him straight into the ground. The frosty monarch smashed into the ground close to where Cooler was, and the two Arcosians backed toward each other, their backs soon touching. "Well my son, it seems things have gotten much more complicated for us..." the King murmured to his bruised son.

"So it would seem father...Perhaps we just need to transform?" Cooler replied, grinning from ear to ear. King Cold raised a brow "I think the Super Saiyan knocked your head rather hard there boy. I know I can still transform but you're already in your fully unsealed form."Cooler gave a soft chuckle "I think you may be shocked to know father that there are forms beyond our unsealed form...I found a secret in the oldest ruins of our people, the secrets of the old Arcosians." From his view screen, Frieza leaned in to listen intently unsure he'd heard his older sibling correctly. Another transformation...More power meant a better chance to smash the Super Saiyans. Assuming his brother wasn't just spouting nonsense.

"Well it sounds silly...But we need to try something if we're to come out of this alive." King Cold remarked. The Namekian above them could hear every word coming from their mouths with his pointed ears "Everyone! Hit them now before they can transform!" he yelled out. Those who fought Frieza on Namek were quick to learn from their mistakes there, giving Frieza the time to transform, and thus they started bombarding the two Arcosians with Gallick Guns and Masenko's and Kamehameha's. Trunks and the other Z-fighters who hand't fought Frieza on Namek quickly joined in, blasting the two and kicking up a massive mushroom cloud with the power of their combined attack.

By the time the dust disappeared, the humans were panting heavily from exertion "Did we...Did we do it?" Yamcha asked, wiping his brow with the back of his hand "Yamcha we can sense their energy, why the hell are you asking?" Tien asked bluntly "I'm an optimist." As the dust cleared fully the group could see a large energy shield crackling with power above both of them. Must've been a group effort to survive that onslaught...

King Cold's third form looked more or less what Frieza imagined it would look like and was rather identical to Frieza's own, save for it being a few inches taller than Frieza's transformtion and the spikes on the back of King Cold's sausage-shaped head being black in colour along with a pair of black shoulder spikes. What fascinated Frieza the most was Cooler's new form, this fifth transformation that appearantly DID exist. Cooler had grown over a foot in height and his muscles and bulked slightly. Four ivory spikes had grown from the back of Cooler's head and his eyes were orbs of solid crimson, glowing with malice. Spikes had grown from Cooler's back and on his wristguards along with some new bio gems on his wrist and ankle guards and the bio gem on the top of Cooler's head had been warped into an oval shape by his shifting. A bone mask rose clamped over Cooler's nose and mouth, leaving only those piercing red eyes visible. He looked up to Trunks and solemnly declared "I'm gonna' smash you!"

The tall Arcosian flew skyward and threw a punch, his fist connecting with Trunks' own and creating a massive shockwave from the combined force. The two exchanged rapid punches at each other, neither really getting a clean hit on the other. Still it seemed the massive boost of strength and speed that the fifth form had given him was giving Cooler a slight dominating edge, as he was the one pushing Trunks backward and creating large cracks in the earth from every blow that was blocked by Trunks, the young man wincing from every impact he managed to narrowly deflect.

King Cold had gotten over his initial shock at his sons newly revealed fifth form and turned his focus to Vegeta and Piccolo in the sky above. The frosty monarch rapidly moved skyward towards them, and Vegeta punched him full force in the face. King Cold was budged an inch. He simply grinned wickedly and grabbed Vegeta's outstretched arm, punching him straight in the ribs and cracking two of them with ease. Vegeta's eyes bulged out of his head and he gave a strangled cry of agony, the shock at just how powerful King Cold was now hitting him fully. Before King Cold could land another strike ne was kicked firmly on the forehead and forced to release Vegeta.

The monarch rubbed his bruised ivory forehead and his eyes came to rest on Piccolo who was covered in the crimson aura of Kaioken x12. _'Vegeta.'_ the Namek said telepathically _'I can't hold this guy off in a fist fight for long, but I'll try and keep him busy while you charge up an energy blast.' _he instructed. Vegeta grit his teeth, not fond of being bossed around by a namek...But he couldn't do a whole lot with half his thorax burning in agony. Piccolo's arm stretched out, smashing Cold in the jaw and forcing him back slightly. Piccolo took the opportunity for another attack and quickly dived in, chopping into Cold's chestplate with as much force as he could muster and managing to crack and bruise the bone armour. Cold gave an enraged snarl and swung a kick which Piccolo narrowly avoided and the Namekian quickly launched another volley of punches, beating Cold in his elongated monstorous face. He was holding out but just barely, and he cerainly couldn't beat Cold like this.

Vegeta meanwhile had begun shanelling his ki into one hand, his aura flickering like a fire around his bruised and muscular form, his pink shirt now in ruins from the battle against King Cold. A large sparking ball of ki had formed in the Prince's hands and he had only one shot at this, his Sparking Gallick Gun. Piccolo flung another punch at the towering Arcosian, only for his fist to be caught mid-punch. There was a sickening crack and Piccolo yelled out in pain as King Cold twisted his arm in a way that it was most certainly not supposed to be twisted. And with one punch to the gut that caused a large bulge in Piccolo's back, the Namekian was knocked straight out of Kaioken.

"Not bad Namekian, you're a credit to your species. Shame I have to kill you, we could do with more men like you in my army..." King Cold remarked. "Like I'd ever...Join you. As soon as Goku gets here, you're dead..." Piccolo wheezed out, giving pained growls as Cold started to twist and grind his fist into Piccolo's gut "Shame." Cold said bluntly, pulling his fist back and aiming the next punch for Piccolo's head. He was stopped by a massive golden energy blast hitting him in the back, making him yell in agony. Smoke billowed off his scorched back, and when Cold turned to see the culprit a small fist smashed into Cold's jaw, making saliva and blood spew from his shocked mouth. "Leave Mr. Piccolo alone!" Gohan screamed, visibly enraged.

The half-Saiyan youth hammered the shocked King Cold's abs with rapid punches, his rage adding to his already unnatural strength. King Cold eventually managed to side-step one punch and quickly tail-slapped Gohan away "Away from me, you disgusting cur!" he yelled indignantly, punchng Gohan in the forehead and smashing him into a large rock formation. "Gohan!" Piccolo cried out, still too winded to make a move. King Cold smirked and raised an index finger up, a purple spark forming on it "Oh don't worry about the little earthling...You're next."

While this was going on Trunks' battle with Cooler had changed course and Trunks was landing some rather clean hits on the Arcosian royal. The lavender haired boy elbowed Cooler straight in his bone mask, sending cracks up along it's surface and sending the towering beast a few metres back. Trunks quickly drew his sword and slashed at Cooler, the motion causing the Frost Demon to leap skyward. The sword still found flesh however, and in one swipe Trunks slashed off the tip of Cooler's tail. "ARGH! You filthy fucking chimp!" Cooler spat, launching a purple energy beam at the ground beneath him, the ensuing explosion knocking Trunks across the dusty wasteland.

In the sky above the duelling Super Arcosian and Super Saiyan, Tien and Krillin plotted their next move. "Whoever the guy with the sword is he seems to be having some trouble against Cooler." Krillin remarked "We gotta' do what we can to soften the guy up for our new Super Saiyan friend...at least I hope he's a friend." Tien nodded and let his hands rest on his hips "Double Kaioken Kamehameha?" the triclops suggested, earning a grin from Krillin. The two powered up and kicked into Kaioken x10, before both martial atists cupped their hands together and pulled them back "Ka...Me..." Their fingertips met and a large swirling blue ball of ki formed between the two "Ha...Me.." they chanted in unison. Their arms shot forth and the swirling double Kamehameha wave shot out towards Cooler **"HA!"**

Cooler quickly picked up on the large energy heading his way, and he glanced toward the Kamehameha heading his way "Hehe, this should be fun..." he said to himself, flying off the ground with such force that it shattered from the power of his movements. He flew straight into the heart of the energy blast, the blue beam splitting open as he flew up into it. "Ah! Now way!" Krillin exclaimed, shocked utterly by the display of power. "Krillin quickly! We need to multiply our Kaioken even more if wa- GAH!" Tien was cut short by Cooler managing to reach the two martial artists, punching them both in the gut and knocking them out of their Kaioken. He had burns and scuffs on his muscular body and was in some visible pain, but he endured. The lanky Arcosian moved his arms from the two humans wounded chests and then casually elbowed both of them in their backs, smashing them both into the ground "Hmph...None can stop me, I'm the mightiest in the universe." the lanky Arcosian said cockily, grinning beneath his cracked bone mask.

"Hey Cooler!" A voice yelled from across the dusty plane. The lanky, wounded beast looked over toward Trunks who rapidly made several gestures with his arms and then shoved both his hands out **"Burning Attack!" **the sword-weilding youth yelled out, firing a concrentrated bolt of gold energy at Cooler. It travelled faster than Cooler could react to and it nailed him in mid-air, the bright explosion lighting up the sky and blasting Cooler out of the sky, making him hit the dirt hard with a loud crack. He groaned and stood up on shaky legs, blood runing down the new burns and scars on his purple flesh.

The bright flash in the sky had distracted King Cold and prevented him from launching a Death Beam through Piccolo's heart. "Ah! Cooler!" Cold yelled out, in shock moreso than concern. It was at that moment that Vegeta made his move, launching forth the Sparking Gallick Gun that he'd been charging while Gohan and Piccolo tried to distract the Arcosian king. The crackling orb of lightning had rapidly expanded one Vegeta shoved his arm up, turning into a much larger sphere and then into a collosal beam which smashed straight into King Cold's chest, the beam carrying the monarch down to earth as he cursed and roared in agony as he was struck with an attack carrying such power that it could have grievously wounded Frieza in his final form on Namek. "HAHA! TAKE THAT, TASTE THE POWER OF PRINCE VEGETA!"

As King Cold was ploughed into the earth by the attack, the beam exploded, creating a massive mushroom cloud which left a deep smouldering crater in the earth with King Cold at the centre of the crater. Vegeta feel from the sky, unable to maintin his flight after recieving his injuries and expending so much ki against Cold, but lucky for him Piccolo caught him and carried him to the ground before plucking the unconscious Gohan up. "Mister Piccolo...DId we win?" Gohan asked hoarsely. "It's not over yet." Piccolo said solemnly, finding a shaded spot to set the half-Saiyan child down in.

King Cold groaned and opened his bruised eyes, sitting up in the crater Vegeta's attack had formed. He was covered in scars and burns, large chunks off his shoulder pads having been broken off and one of his horns missing. "Guh...C-Cooler..." he grunted. The weakened Cooler managed to reach the crater and helped his father stand fully. "Son I can't...I need to transform, and use all my power against the Saiyan..." he grunted. His eyes widened as he saw Trunks at the edge of the crater, clutching his sword tight in both hands. "I'll hold him off father, don't worry." Cooler said, clenching both his fists tight. "Thank you son, I'm...you've made your father proud with your power and ferocity." Cold said, smiling softly before beginning to power up.

Cooler and Trunks both pushed off the ground at the same time, their bodies poised to strike their foe with as much force as they could muster. However at the last moment, Trunks swerved around Cooler and avoided his powerful punch. Cooler's glowing red eyes widened in horror once he realised what Trunks was doing, but it was already too late to stop him from reaching his king and ' sword cleaved diagnolly through King Cold's waist, severing his legs and left forearm "C-Cooler..." Cold wheezed out, his final words. Trunks slashed straight up, then across, then down, then diagnolly again and then simply kept slashing wildly until King Cold was merely a pile of meat which the Super Saiyan promptly cremated with a large blast of golden energy.

* * *

Frieza cried out in sorrow as that first blade swipe struck his father, tears blurring the Arcosians vision. His father was the only family member he cared about after his mother died, and his whole life all he sought to do was act like him and follow his wishes...He wanted his father to be proud of him, but he never once recieved that praise from King Cold. For Cooler to recieve the praise Frieza longed for just rubbedsalt in the wound...In one instant, the Frost Demon had been orphaned. A super Saiyan had damaged his life once again.

His rage boiled up once more and tears began to fall from Frieza's face. He could feel that strange power once again, that same power he felt in the training room several months ago, but now it was more vivid than ever. He couldn't tap into it though for whatever reason. And then the strange latent power left him once more...

"L-Lord Frieza..." Polarri whispered in concern, being held back from the grieving prince by Ais. The violet Arcosian knew well enough not to approach Frieza when he was emotional,he honestly wouldn't be able to control himself. Midgyo was cowering in the corner as Frieza's anger and sorrow shook the walls of the Cold palace, while Ais and Polarri watched the view screen, seeing that Cooler's own rage and grief was just as powerful as his younger brothers.

They watched as Cooler's flaring black aura cracked the earth beneath them, sending tremors and shockwaves across the land **"YOU...FILTHY...APE."** Cooler growled, his muscles bulging out to far larger proportions than they had before **"That's it! EVERYONE DIES!"**

* * *

On the outskirts of the Sol system, a lone Attack Ball flewjust past Pluto "There's a huge battle going on down on Earth, but this ship won't reach the planet in time. Looks like now's a good time to try out that new technique..." with that, the space traveller placed two fingers to his forehead, focused on the largest ki signature on Earth and then teleported away.

A/N: Next chapter, the return of Goku! Can Cooler find a way to defeat Trunks or will he meet the same end as King Cold? Find out soon!


	7. Mourning

Cooler's rage-filled roars rang throughout the entire wasteland, his black ki aura flaring up into the sky as his muscles bulged out to larger proportion. He was filled with as much power as he could muster right now, but while the muscles amped up his physical strength they would prove highly damaging to the Arcosian's speed. Trunks was slightly taken aback by Cooler's sheer ferocity, but he supposed the reaction was to be expected and he himself understood Cooler's grief quite well. For a fleeting moment, Trunks had empathy for Cooler...But it passed as quickly as it came, and he firmly gripped his sword.

Cooler pushed off the ground and shattered the earth beneath him with a powerful shockwave his newly bulked-up muscles caused. He swung one punch out, which Trunks managed to dodge. The youth made another swipe wit his sword, but Cooler managed to flip over the blade and throw a kick at Trunks' head. He briefly thought the blow connected, but only after-image remained of where Cooler had struck. He looked skyward to see Trunks making a downward swipe, and the bulked up Arcosian narrowly avoided getting cleaved in two, recieving only a small slash across his ivory chestplate for his trouble. Purple lightning sparked around Cooler's tightly clenched fist, and he quickly launched a large beam of purple ki at Trunks.

The young time traveller grunted and held his free hand out, catching the incoming wave. It burnt his palm and he very nearly lost his grip on the destructive blast, keeping his sword firmly gripped in his other hand. The lightning coming from the wave was locking up his muscles, and if he didn't do something soon he could have a muscle spasm and lose his grip on the attack. With one loud yell of exertion, her moved his hand and flung the purple ki blast in another direction, the blast sailing off into the horizon until it hit a distant mesa and vaporised it on impact. Trunks blew on his singed palm, and wordlessly landed infront of the enraged Cooler, his whole body trembling with anger and power.

He flew forth again and unleashed furious flurries of punches and kicks, which Trunks either blocked with difficulty or narrowly dodge. His speed advantage over became greater and more obvious with each passing moment as the pain and fatigue racking Cooler's body caught up with him. This became appearant to Cooler himself after his left hook was dodged easily, and he was smashed through a large boulder by an air pressure attack by Cooler "Just give up, you can't hit me." Trunks said, that sword glinting in the light of his golden aura, stained with the blood of his father and of his men...No, Cooler couldn't just give up and die! Not after everything he'd lost! He would stand, and he would win! He just needed a plan...

His red eyes glossed over the battlefield, seeing all the injured Z-fighters sprawled about. He noticed Gohan, Piccolo and Vegeta clustered together, the easiest target. "I mightn't be fast enough to hit you...Let's see if they're as lucky." Cooler said, making a swift blast which was heading straight toward the Saiyan Prince, who's eyes widened in shock. He'd used all his ki in that last attack against King Cold, and Piccolo still hadn't fully recoved from his own clash with the deceased monarch.

Trunks' look of horror had two causes. One, he didn't want to see his father die, and two if Vegeta was killed before Trunks was even concieved than he'd cease to exist...Possibly, maybe. Time travel was complex. He flew as fast as he could, managing to overtake the energy beam by little more than a metre, and was promptly basted in the back by the strike, saving the three other warriors from death. Trunks coughed and sputtered as the dust cleared, his jacked rather heavily burned. He let his sword hit the earth with an audible _*Clang* _and then slumped to his knees, his gold hair returning to a lavender colour "Damn...Hurt as much as I expected.." Trunks grunted out. Vegeta was shocked "Y-you...Foolish, stupid boy! Why did you waste time saving me?! You could have killed that stupid Demon in one strike, now we have no hope at all!" Vegeta snapped. Yup, he sounded alot like what mother said about him.

Cooler gave a small laugh, which grew into a full blown mocking bellow "I can't believe it, you actually took the bait! What a sap! You really are nothing more than a stupid Saiyan monkey, super or otherwise!" he said, sounding more unhinged than ever. He inhaled slowly and then extended one hand out, telekinetically pulling Trunks' sword to him and gripping it firmly in one hand "Now then...Who will die first for their crimes against the Cold Family?" the looming Arcosian mused "Will it be the Saiyan prince who opposed my soft brother on Namek? The little freaks who helped him on Namek? Or the Super Saiyan who killed my father?!"

It was at that moment that Yamcha burst from the sidelines, having been frozen in awe and fear after the battle which unfolded once he was done killing Salza. He had powered up to his limit and pumped himself up to Kaioken x 22...And Cooler stopped him in his tracks with one casual elbow to the ribs, shattering several of the scar-faced bandit's ribs in that one strike. He wouldn've used his tail, if he wasn't missing half of it...He quickly moved his three-digited foot and clamped then around Yamcha's head, pinning him against the dusty and dirty ground of the wasteland. "Well, we have a volunteer!" Cooler snapped, grinning from ear to ear beneath his cracked and shattered face mask.

As he raised the blade above his head, tears welled in Bulma's eyes from the distance. "Yamcha, no!" she screamed out, trembling in fear. Her emotions were conflicted about her love life, currently split between the scar-faced bandit she'd been with for years and the gruff and powerful Saiyan Prince who had been staying with her. But that didn't mean she wouldn't weep if Yamcha was killed again. Launch was trembling with anger "Damn it all! That alien freak is gonna kill 'em all, and there ain't nothing we can do to help them! Even this fucking rocket launcher of mine wouldn't make that freak bat an eyelash...DAMN IT TIEN, DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ME AGAIN!" she cried out, the blonde's eyes glistening.

Before Cooler could make the downward swing on Yamcha, there was a sound of rushing wind behind him. Cooler paused and turned to see Goku standing behind him with his fingers to his forehead and his messy black hair blowing in the wind. He was wearing a white ruffled shirt, purple chestplate and shoulder pad with a gold trim, red trousers and his normal black and gold boots. "G-Goku!" Krillin croaked out weakly, rubbing his bruised forehead. "Yaaaaaay..." Yamcha bleated out weakly, barely conscious. "It's about damn time, you low class idiot..." Vegeta grunted. "Goku? Oh I see, YOU'RE the Super Saiyan that almost killed my little brother." Cooler said, lifting his foot off Yamcha's head.

"Brother? Yeah you kinda look like Frieza alright...And you're every bit as rotten as he is!" Goku said, an explosion of gold light enveloping him, his hair shooting up and taking the same golden shine. "Hmph yes I see now, power like yours would certainly cause my brother trouble...But not me!" Cooler roared, making a sideways slash. Goku vanished a split second before the blade hit him, and when Cooler turned he saw Goku holding the wounded Yamcha. He vanished again and set the bandit by Launch and Bulma before returning to Cooler.

"That technique..." Cooler murmured, about to say more before Goku punched him square in the gut, making Cooler double over in pain and drop Trunks' sword to the ground. "Get off this planet, and never come back!" Goku ordered, clenching his fists. He was fresh to the fight, far more capable now than Cooler was in his wounded, fatigued state. The Arcosian grit his teeth, seeing that now he'd have to make a last ditch effort to win. Kill them all and this pathetic planet!

Cooler gave a yell and launched a large energy blast at Goku which the Super Saiyan blocked, only gettin some tears and burns in his clothing from the attack. But when he looked up, the sight of Cooler in the sky with a blazing Supernova attack in one hand made Goku's eyes widen in shock. "None will be allowed to surpass me! I'll kill you two filthy monkies, and then I'll finish Frieza off, and then I and I alone will be the mightiest being in the universe!" the manic Arcosian roared, cackling wildly as he flung his Supernova at Goku. The Super Saiyan braced himself for the incoming energy sphere, not willing to let Earth meet the same end as the original Namek, and as the ball his his hands he was gradually pushed deeper and deeper into the earth. By the time the Supernova was halfway into the Earth, only a single slowly sinking hemisphere visible, Cooler thought his victory was secure.

Until he heard a noise, a violent yell thet burst through the sound of his energy ball. One syllable was all he caught **"-HA!"** and with that his Supernova was flung from it's crater by a massive blue energy wave. Try as he might with his telekinesis he simply could not stop the incoming attack, and the two ki blasts smashed into him, carrying him off on a collision course for the sun. The attack had destroyed the video probe as it passed by, leaving Frieza unaware of his brother's fate. But he knew he was dead...Nobody could survive being hurtled into the sun, could they?

* * *

As the view screen showed only static, Frieza slowly rose up to his feet and wiped at his eyes with his palm. There was dead silence in the chamber, Midgyo clamping his beak shut with his hands, and Ais holding Polarri in place. Wordlessly, Frieza drifted past them and headed for the nearest elevator. His head was abuzz with so many thoughts and emotion. Grief over his father's death, rage over Cooler recieving the long sought praise of their father that Frieza never recieved, joy over his asshole brother's death...But also great curiosity over the new form he exhibited on Earth.

The Arcosian prince had seen it with his own two eyes, if a weakling like Cooler could get enough of a boost from such a transformation that he could actually defeat one Super Saiyan, Frieza could only imagine just what kind of boost that transformation would give unto him. But where had Cooler discovered this power? As Frieza left the elevator and headed into his private bedchamber he vaguely recalled Cooler saying something about the ruins of the ancient Arcosians. That in itself sounded familiar to Frieza...Had his parents mentioned it in the past?

Frieza's private chamber was a rather large room, his oval-shaped bed with it's silken ebony sheets being the centrepiece of the room, white curtains between the bed posts partially obscuring it from view. He had two large lockers in the back of his room with were filled with his various battle armours and capes. He had a large viewscreen currently retracted into the roof of his bedchamber, with which he could recieve any important messages or transmissions without having to leave the comforts of his bed. The most impressive decoration in this bedroom with it's purple floor and white walls, was the line of glass which contained a fish tank, teaming with exotic aquatic lifeforms. The prince paid them no mind today, he was in no mood.

Not when he was in mourning.

Quietly, Frieza removed his cape, battle armour, trousers, and the guards of his shins and forearms. He simply left them there scattered about on the floor, and drifted onto his bed. He needed sleep to clear his head, sleep so he could meditate on his revenge. And sleep, did indeed take him.

* * *

As Kanchapp polished off his last glowing fruit, he had had 3 and then divided the fruit between the other generals and his most powerful guards, the hacked video feed of Lord Cooler's video probe cut to static. "Hmph, well that's certainly good news. Cooler and King Cold dead, the royal bloodline is finished." the Zaltian said cockily as he tossed the core of the eaten spikey fruit over his shoulder. "Er, not quite sir." one Serpian advisor said "What Cooler said before he died, made it quite clear that Frieza is still alive."

Kanchapp gave a shrug and got out of his seat "One Arcosian despot isn't as much of a probem after the boost the Tree gave us." he said, crossing his scaley red arms over his muscular chest. He looked to the yellow Serpian and beckoned him closer "Set up a comm link with all ships of the rebel fleet. Gotta get 'em fired up before we move to seize Arcos." the Zaltian said simply as he moved to the communication relay.

"We're live sir." the snake-like alien said after a few moments, and in that time Kanchapp cleared his throat. "My brothers in arms, a great opportunity has been presented before us. King Cold and Lord Cooler are dead, killed at the hands of Saiyan survivors. Our time to strike is now, we will swoop in on the world of Arcos and conquer it, and from there the remnants loyal to Frieza will be destroyed. While it has been revealed to us that Frieza is in fact alive, this is a blessing in disguise! For now we can visit unto Frieza the same pains and horrors that he brought onto our races when he conquered and enslaved them! With the power that the Tree of Might has given our rebel leaders, we can go out and crush Frieza once and for all! Do you all stand with me?!" he roared.

From across the comm channels Kanchapp could hear roars of triumph, his army baying for battle and confident of their victory. The Zaltian made a hand gesture to his advisor and the comm link shut off _'Idiots. Make a rousing speech and they'll follow you straight into hell...'_ he mused as he headed for the bridge, prepping for the FTL flight to Arcos.

* * *

_Arcos' sole moon of Blizzah was a decently sized satellite which looped around the massive ice planet. It was an icy moon, but without the constant blowing winds a person could take in the winter beauty of the moon, the glistening spires of ice that shone like diamonds. It was the beauty and tranquility of Blizzah that made it a rather popular holiday spot for the Cold family who could withstand the lack of heat and air quite easily._

_On this day, the two young sons of King and Queen Cold were lazily eating as they watched Arcos, currently across the void of space yet still very visible to the naked eye. Queen Cold tapped on her sons shoulders, and pointed their gazes toward one large landmass on Arcos visible from where they were "That right there is Mount Froid, the highest peak on Arcos. The first Arcosian's lived in the cave systems there, far more powerful than any of us." the Queen remarked, taking some food from the picnic basket between the family._

_"How powerful were they?" Cooler asked, arching one brow up. "Stronger than...A Super Saiyan?" Frieza asked, hesitantly on that last part. "I would imagine so. The stories said those old Arcosians could ascend even further beyond their unsealed forms, growing monstorous in appearance but also gaining immense power from their change." Queen Cold explained. Her husband gave a small laugh "As if we'd even need such power. None can match us in strength, certainly not some non-existant super-monkey." he remarked in his usual posh tone, lazily sipping at some wine._

_"Where um...Where could we learn about this power, mother?" Cooler asked. The Queen gave his head a small pat "Alas, it's only a story, a fable. No records on these 'Super Arcosians' actually exist. Though, there could be something hidden in the ruins of those cave systems." she replied. King Cold scoffed and rolled his eyes "Really dear...I'd rather you didn't fill our childrens heads with such nonsense..."_

* * *

Frieza's eyes popped open and he sat up in bed "Mount Froid...Long shot, but it might be right..." he murmured softly to himself, gathering his clothing up with his telekinesis. He donned his armour and threw his cape on, before heading to the elevator. His mind was abuzz with possibilities, wondering could he find out about this fifth form in Mount Froid...?

* * *

A/N: Alright folks, next chapter we focus on Frieza fully once more, and the shit really hits the fan when the rebel fleet comes knocking. Will Frieza find what he needs, before it's too late? And what of Cooler, is he really dead? Of course not, you already know the answer to that. He got a second movie after all, didn't he?


	8. Betrayed!

Mount Froid was a rather isolated point on Arcos, far from most of the domed cities on the planets surface. It was a massive spire of earth and ice, swirls of pale mist and flurries of snow circling around the peaks and tips of the mountain. In terms of size, the mountain was larger than Olympus Mons of Mars, about 23.5 kilometres in height. The home of the ancient Arcosians, the place that most researchers believed to be the cradle of the Frost Demon civilization.

It was a long shot, but maybe, just maybe Frieza could find the secrets he sought here. His purple aura flared around his slender as he flew through blizzards and hail storms, his aura melting any snow or ice before it could actually land on Frieza or obscure his vision to a great degree. Within moments he was flying parallel to the mountains slopes, his cold eyes scanning the area for any sort of naturally occuring cave. He found what he was seeking soon enough, one deep indentation that stood out against the pale surface of the mountain. Not wanting to waste any time he flew into the darkened cave and landed with a small _*Clack*._

It was awfully dark inside this cave, not helped by the dim light which only barely illuminated the ice planet. Frieza gave an exhasperated sigh and raised a hand up, forming a purple ki ball above his palm, illuminating a few feet infront of him in a dim lilac light. Still the darkness seemed to stretch on forever, and the only noise Frieza could hear save for the raging wind outside was the occasional _*Drip*_ from deep within the caves. Undeterred by the spooky, foreboding nature of this cave, Frieza advanced in deeper. The tunnel he was walking through quickly diverged into multiple different pathways, and it caused Frieza to give a low sigh. He wasn't much of a fan of mazes, but he supposed he had little choice but to explore and hope for the best.

Frieza walked down the left pathway and soon found himself descending down some sort of spiral. While his ki ball provided some illumination it was still rather hard to make things out...Frieza could swear he was stepping in some older foot prints though, as if in the tracks of another Arcosian. Cooler, most likely, so Frieza estimated that he was going the right way. Well that or Cooler had gone the wrong way at first and Frieza was following those same mistakes.

The descending spiral Frieza was travelling on came to an end, entering into a large chamber. Frieza's eyes scanned the walls around them once he noticed the carvings upon the walls, detailing the oldest historic records of his people. Even the old folklore, such as the union between the sun and moon, detailed as the brother and sister Volcari and Blizzah respectively creating the planet of Arcos. The next carving Frieza ran his slender fingers over detailed the creation of the early Arcosians, how Blizzah sculpted them from the ice itself...Such flights of fancy, Frieza fondly recalled studying the tales in his youth.

After that, the carvings moved into detailing the actual history of his people. The early seven tribes who would war over territory and sparse resources. One tribe was more powerful than all the others, and led by a figure who was quite respected by the Cold Family as he was their oldest known ancestor: The Snow King, Fuyu. As he travelled down the chamber he noted how all the carvings now were detailed accounts of Fuyu's battles with the other tribes, how none of them could surpass him. And then the chamber suddenly came to a hand, and Frieza found himself standing before a wall. Well now that was odd to Frieza, but he wasn't all that surprised. The accounts on Fuyu's later life were mixed to say the least, but the Arcosian prince thought that at the very least there would be some sort of conclusion in this old story chamber.

The Arcosian prince ran his hands over the end wall of the chamber, humming curiously at the wall before him. He increased the ammount of energy in his ki ball to make it larger and increase the brightness, and he couldn't help but notice something jutting out of the end chamber wall. It looked like an icicle, just jutting straight out, not melted at all. On the ground directly beneath it was some sort of dish that seemed to be sculpted into the floor itself. The Frost Demon advanced, eager to learn more, and as he neared the odd icicle he noticed that there seemed to be dried blood on it.

Just what was going on here exactly? What kind of crazy puzzle shit was this?

Frieza reached an ivory hand out to the icicle to inspect is, and then gave a sharp hiss as it began to glow and cut into the flesh of his fingers. Fresh blood stained the icicle on the wall, and then proceeded to drip into the small dish on the floor. It seemed to glow crimson once it hit the dish, and a rumble echoed through the large story chamber **"You bear Snow King's Blood. You are welcomed in this tomb."** the booming voice echoed, the rumble growing stronger.

The end wall seemed to split open and parted itself by a few metres, kicking dust up into Frieza's face. The prince quirked a brow and walked into this new opening which led into another chamber, a large sculped stone tomb at the very end of this chamber. On the walls to either side of him, they detailed Fuyu's loss of his family after he returned from a hunting trip, the other tribes having massacred them in his absence. And then the last story panel showed Fuyu's ascension to his monstorous fifth form, how he brought all the other tribes under his icy fist, establishing the new world order and the start of the Cold Family's dominance over the Arcosian people.

"So that's it..." Frieza mumbled, trailing his ivory fingers over the carvings of Fuyu's fith form, looming over the cowering and fearful masses, and it did indeed bare some similar features to Cooler's own form. Alot of spikes, face coverings, solid red eyes. However as this was merely an artistic representation it did seem alot more styalised. "The loss of his family, and his home allowed him to tap into this power, so it's linked with grief and rage..." he remarked to himself. So how did Cooler tap into the power? Frieza mused that he was most likely whining about some 'injustice' that King Cold had done to him in favour of Frieza, and that anger allowed him to tap into the power. Possibly, at least. The Arcosian's eyes welled slightly with tears as he thought on his now deceased father, and he decided to think of other matters. Namely, how would he achieve this power? Had he not suffered enough to earn this reward?

Scowling bitterly, Freza sat floating in the air in a meditative position, trying to think on his recent hardships and perhaps through recalling his grief and his losses he could find the inner strength he needed. And when he shut his eyes, all was silence, even the _*Drip*_ in the cave faded away into nothing. His ki ball dissipated into mere atoms and the cave turned dark, and the only light Frieza could see through his currently shut eyes was a spark, like a tiny smouldering ember. And it grew as Frieza recalled his losses, his defeat on Namek, the death of his father, the realisation that there was more than one Super Saiyan in the galaxy...His rage swirled and he grit his teeth, veins bulging out on his brow. The ember he could see through shut eyes had grown into a full smouldering blaze, growing larger and larger, he could feel it! The wrath that his ancestor Fuyu had bared against his foe's when he lost everything!

_'Lord Frieza!' _a worried voice called out in his head. His eyes snapped open, still looking quite furious, now moreso that he'd lost it again. He realised it was Ais he had heard in his head and that it was a telepathic message _'What?'_ he snapped back. When Ais spoke again Frieza could detect a distinct panic in her tone of voice _'Y-your lordship...Er, your majesty, a massive Planet Trade fleet has entered the solar system and has started attacking Arcos! The planets guard are already fighting back, b-but more enemy ships keep on coming, i-i-it's like the entire Planet Trade Organisation is turning on us!' _she exclaimed.

Would his torment ever cease?! First his defeat, then his father's death and now this! He had been betrayed! Betrayed by an army that he once thought loyal to him. The irony didn't seem to dawn on Frieza of course...

_'Head to the hanger, you Polarri and Midgyo. There's a prototype shuttle there with stealth systems that should allow you to leave the solar system safely. I will meet with you once these traitorous elements are dealt with.'_ Frieza instructed, punching his ivory palm. _'Yes sir, Lord Frieza...Sir.'_ Ais replied awkwardly. Frieza paid her no mind and powered up,sending tremors through the entire giant mountain. His aura illuminated the once jet black cave with a bright purple hue, and the tyrant wasted no time retreading the steps he had taken to get down into this hidden chamber in the first place.

At 50% of his full power Frieza had flown from Arcos in no time flat, and he could already see several other Arcosian soldiers flying up to the heavens,along with attack ships and cruisers, along with more of the royal family cruisers on the other planets in the Arcosian solar systems. Yet they were gravely outnumbered, Frieza knew that much before he even left Mount Froid. He could see hundreds if not thousands of soldiers in amidst the ships, which also numbered in the triple digits at least. it occured to Frieza that this once small rebellion must have been supplied by a very large number of the Planet Trade Organisation all this time, and for a brief moment the Frost Demon prince pondered his mother's lecture, on how a man who ruled through fear would one day face rebellion from the people who would rather die than live in fear any longer.

Frieza scowled and pushed the memory aside. If they had feared him before, he would make them all tremble for this defiance. He'd burn entire worlds if he had to, he would get the message across that Lord Frieza was not to be opposed. Yes, that would do. He'd get the leaders of this rebellion and leave them in Katchin restraints, so they would be forced to watch every last individual member of their race being killed off.

'Go!' Frieza telepathically yelled to his allied forces, before he himself shot one arm up and launched a swirling purple ki beam at one of the enemy frigate. His blast smashed clean through the energy shield of the ship and smashed into the actual bridge of the craft, blowing it apart in a massive flaming explosion. He kept flying skyward to meet the onslaught of traitor soldiers flying his way. He swung an elbow up and smashed the dusty-skinned alien in the jaw, the crunch of his jawbone and helmet sending tremors up the tyrant's arm and a smirkto his face. He gave a laugh and kept kicking and lashing his tail at incoming attackers, their bones shattering and their blood drifting across the vaccuum of space.

Frieza flew headlong into the crowd of traitors, spaming death beams and assorted ki blasts at the various enemy ships as he passed, creating glorious bloody fireworks to illuminate the skies above Arcos, to let them see more light. A large group dogpiled on Frieza, latching onto him and hitting him with feeble punches. Frieza scoffed at their pathetic attempts to wound him and gave off a loud cackle, his whole body starting to glow. A purple dome of ki exploded off his body, reducing the soldiers who had dogpiled him to atoms to be scattered by solar winds.

"Is that all you can bring me?! Pathetic fools with power levels lower than 50'000?! If you were to betray me then you could at least have the decency to make the uprising challenging!" the Frost Demon yelled. At that moment the scouters in his eyes beeped and he turned his head to the side. he crossed his arms before his face and narrowly blocked a green ki bullet which exploded against him and smashed him into the into the roof of one frigate, crating a deep dent in the thick metal.

Frieza grumbled as he stood up, noticing several chips had been knocked off his arm guards and shoulder guards from the attack "Hrm...Well, that happened." Frieza remarked, glancing to his attacker. Ah yes, Aka, he recalled Aka...The fat purple dumbass. His power level had taken a hefty jump since Frieza last saw him going by scans, he was in the several millions range. "You wanted a challenge Frieza?! Try me!" Aka yelled, giving a throaty laugh.

Frieza rolled his eyes when Aka lunged at him and quickly blocked an incoming punch, his foot moving back a few inches from the power of the impact. Another block, and quickly shot his tail out, stabbing the tip through Aka's armour and purple flesh, and he even managed to stab a few centimetres into his flesh before the ogre copped what Frieza was doing and managed to hop back "Sneaky sneaky!" Aka said, wagging his finger. Frieza lazily rolled his eyes "You remind me of another fat purple bastard I used to know. You have so much in common..." as Frieza trailed off, Aka pushed his foot off the metal of the ship beneath him and lunged at Frieza.

Despite his large power increase from the Tree of Might, he still couldn't keep up with Frieza, his powerful fists slow and awkward compared to the deft and nimble Frieza "He was fat and ugly too you know." Frieza continued to mock, infuriating Aka even further. He swung a punch out which landed a clean hit on Frieza's pecs, cracking large chunks of his chest plate off. Aka gave a cocky smirk, which Frieza returned "You want to know what you both really had in common though?" he asked, as if oblivious to the fist straining against his chest. The icy tyrant rapidly shoved his hand forward, smashing Aka int he gut with an air-pressure strike and launching him straight into the bridge of the ship they had been fighting on.

Frieza could see the officers of that ship, ill-prepared for the void of space, being suckes out into the vaccuum and suffering the rather...violent experience of explosive decompression. Frieza ignored them for now, figuring their hell was complete. He could see Aka groaning and standing up, looking at the advancing Frieza with fear-filled eyes "You're both dead." Frieza said grimly, a few feet away from Aka. Aka's eyes widened as wide as saucers, and he quickly opened his jaw a green ki ball forming in his mouth **"Super Wahahano-"**

He never finished that last syllable, Frieza had crossed the distance faster than Aka could possibly percieve and smashed the brute's jaw shut, causing the attack to detonate prematurely and simply...vaporise Aka's head. "Ha." Frieza said simply, lifting the headless corpse up and smashiing it through the hull of the warship, smashing Aka's body through every deck of the ship and letting the vaccuum into every deck, killing all the crew not prepared to handle it.

"Well Lord Frieza, you took Aka down as quickly as I expected..." a familiar voice mocked from behind. Frieza turned quickly to see General Kanchapp behind him, his white aura flared up and illuminating the black void. "I should have suspected you Kanchapp. You always were an ambitious one." The Zaltian gave a chuckle "Oh you have no idea..." he remarked, before giving a yell and lunging forward. His power level was massive compared to Aka's, and Frieza's optics put his current power level at 60, 070, 400. Far stronger than he was when Frieza last saw him, that was for sure.

The two exchanged a violent storms of punches and kicks across the spatial warzone surrounding them, moving faster than anyone else could percieve, leaving only shockwaves and after-images from their brief clashes. Kanchapp eventually dodged an incoming strike and took the opportunity to drop kick Frieza into one of his own frigate's, creating a massive hole in the hull and knocking him through two decks. Not the least bit concerned by friendly fire, he raised one palm out and a lightning covered white orb formed in that palm **"THUNDER GUN!"** he yelled, a massive white beam of ki following Frieza downward, hitting the hole he had punched in the ship. A violent flash illuminated the figate, followed by a grand explosion that left only debris where once a mighty spaceship had floated.

Kanchapp hummed and landed on one drifting scrap of ship, his white aura still shining bright. He could see Frieza standing tall, or as tall as someone as short as he could, on another scrap of the frigate, his armour having been completely blown off and his ivory skin marked and scuffed "Hmph, is that all general...? And I must say, I didn't think you would be as keen to kill your allies as I am..." Kanchapp gave a soft chuckle and then lunged at Frieza again. The icy tyrant blocked his foe's swipe and kneed Kanchapp in the chin. He swiped at the frog-like creature with his tail, shattering his chestplate with the force of the impact and smashing him through the debris field of the old ship.

Kanchapp gave another laugh and dusted off his now-bare chest "Let me let you in on a little secret 'Lord' Frieza..." the Zaltian sneered "All this 'Freedom' and 'Justice' crap I've been feeding to those rebel idiots? All lies..." he said, cracking his neck. The two flew at each other again, Frieza took a savage punch to the bio gem on his head, causing him to give a strangled gasp of pain. He swiped at his foe's head, whom promptly shrunk his head in between his shoulders. Predicting that tactic, Frieza linked both his fists above his head and swung down, smashing them into the top of Kanchapp's head. His frog face popped up with a shrill gasp of pain, a massive purple lump already forming atop his skull from the ferocity of the attack. Frieza rapidly kicked Kanchapp a few times in the chest, forming more purple lumps, and then he tail slapped Kanchapp into a large chunk of ship which kicked up a large plume of dust.

A net of lightning burst from the dust and coiled around Frieza's body, making him yell out in pain as his entire body was constricted and restrained. "Ya see, sir, I want to be the top dog. Whole reason I took the helm in this rebellion. I'm gonna be the head of this new Galactic coalition and be all nice and kind for the first few months, and them BAM! I'm gonna go full tyrant on them all..." Kanchapp said, punching his palm for emphasis. "All I gotta do is finish...You...Off..."

Frieza gave a few more pain filled grunts and grit his teeth "No...You...Won't!" he yelled, powering up and creating a shockwave which blew his traitor back a few metres. Freed of the lightning restraints, he wrapped his ivory tail around the Zaltian's throat, holding his head in place. He delivered several rapid headbutt's, making Kanchapp cough and sputter as his nose was broken, sprays of blood floating off through the vaccum of space. He released his tail grip and then elbowed Kanchappin the ribs, knocking him into the side of another enemy frigate.

Kanchapp coughed for air and pulled himself from the metal "Your power wasn't exaggerated at all...I guess I should stop holding back..." he growled menacingly. Frieza raised a brow and then gave a throaty laugh "Oh what, you have some sort of 'Super Zaltian' transformation?" he mocked. Kanchapp spread his legs with a smirk on his face "Hm, not the term I'd use. More of a technique really...My people have our amazing natural Bio-Electrical powers, and I've spent years honing my powers to make this technique...My bio-luminescent power!" he yelled. His aura increased in size with his muscles, his skin began to glow a bright blue hue and his eyes turned into golden light bulb,and lightning coursed over his flesh. "HAHA! What say you now, Frieza?! I've just multiplied my battle power by five!"

The Arcosian's eyes widened in shock, and in that brief moment the Zaltian had punched the bio gem in Frieza's abs. It hit hard, leaving a small scorch on his skin and locking his muscles with electricity. Another strike hit Frieza, this time in his face, the blow hitting Frieza through two fighter crafts and blowing them to pieces. Frieza grunted and corrected himself mid-flight and started spamming Death Beams, all of which Kanchapp either dodged or deflected with his palms.

He flew forth again and hammered Frieza's chest with five rapid punches, before grabbing the Arcosian in his thick arms. Frieza screeched in pain as he was electrocuted and burnt by Kanchapp's new bio-luminescent powers, leaving black scorches on once ivory yelled out in agony and weakly raised a finger up, firing a powerful death beam through the Zaltian's side, a plume of blood floating through space. Kanchapp yelled in anger and released Frieza. He pulled one arm back, lightning forming on his fist, and then he punched him square in the ribs, smashing Frieza into the hull of another spaceship. His body was covered in burns, bruises and scratches. His muscles were locked from all the lightning still swarming his body, and he could do nothing against Kanchapp right now.

"Hehe...Well, here we are...Your death, like I said..." he said confidently, his glowing blue skin adding brightness to the black voice of space all around them. A white sparking ball of ki formed in his palm and he took aim at Frieza "Now, I'm gonna make you really hurt..." he spat, the white ki ball doubling in size. He spun his arm quickly, and took aim at Arcos. "No..." Frieza whispered. "Yes..." Kanchapp purred **"THUNDER GUN!"**

His white ki blast fired out toward the wintery planet, even if Frieza could pry himself free from the electric restraints around his body he couldn't intercept that attack in time. The blast hit the surface of Arcos, and the ice planet was for the briefest of moments wreathed in fire, before it exploded in a massive stellar display, reduced to nothing. In one foul swoop an ancient planet had been removed from the galaxy, killing millions of Arcosians in one foul swoop.

Kanchapp started to cackle.

And then Frieza...snapped.

* * *

A/N: Haha, the final chapter of the Kanchapp arc is coming next! Frieza's rage explodes, and he taps into the latent power of his race! Will anyone be spared from his wrath?!


	9. Triumphant?

It was too much to bare.

Defeat at the hands of a Saiyan chimp, dismemberment at his own hands, the death of his father, and now this...the destruction of his home world. For many, they would have lapsed into a state of unconsciousness, and simply given up...But not Frieza. this was the tipping point, the thing that pushed him past his limit. He dug deep, summoned his inner rage and strife, and released an awe-inspiring roar as his aura exploded around him with a massive shockwave, releasing such power that it pushed back the frigate he had been previously launched into, and even knocked General Kanchapp back several feet. "Wh-what?!" the Zaltian barked, lightning still crackling around his body.

Frieza's aura shifted from purple into a blazing crimson hue, illuminating the blackness of space. His whole frame seemed to twist and morph in size, first he grew little over a foot in height and his muscles bulked up, though not to the ludicrous extent that his 100% form gave him. His eyes took on a crimson shade, glowing red like his aura. A bone mask consisting of two triangular shapes clamped over his face, leaving only his red eyes visible. Bony spikes grew from Frieza's shoulderblades, then on his wrist and ankle guards. The bio gems on his armour were then covered in ivory skin, shaping his shoulders in such a way that he had two almond shaped purple shoulder guards. Finally, his horns grew him. Four angular ebony horns on his skull, forming a crown around the purple bio gem on his head.

And there he stood, Frieza the Super Arcosian.

A tense silence filled the black void, not a single shot fired from any of the gathered ships. Kanchapp looked furious "Oh I see, so you think because you have that form Cooler used, that you can beat me?! Well think again! You've lost!" he yelled, flying forth and landing a punch clean on Frieza's jaw. While the tyrant wasn't budged a milimetre by the attack there was a sickening crack from the impact. Kanchapp smirked, thinking he had broken Frieza's bone mask...And then the pain hit him, his grin dissapeared, and the Zaltian realised he had just broken every bone in his hand from the punch.

Before Kanchapp could cry out in pain from his broken digits, Frieza had made a swift palm strike the the Zaltian's abdomen, smashing him through several ships from the force of the impact "I'm going to break you. I'm going to break every single bone in your body, I will rupture all your internal organs, and then I will make you feel REAL pain..." Frieza growled, his voice telepathicaly echoing across the black vaccum between the two warriors.

* * *

Midgyo and the two Arcosian maidens had indeed managed to make it to this stealth craft and took off minutes before the planet was wiped out. It was an odd purple diamond-shaped spacecraft with 4 spider-like legs on one end of the diamond for landings and a thruster on that end between the 4 legs. As frieza had said, the craft's stealth systems allowed them to evade detection and with the aid of their FTL drives they managed to escape to the next star system...And from there Midgyo monitored events in the Arcos system as they unfolded.

The Litt scientist had been very...hesitant to tell Ais and Polarri about the destruction of Arcos, but he felt they had every right to know. Polarri had broken down on the spot and Ais had attempted to be stoic and comfort her closest friend...Though Midgyo could clearly see the tears she was fighting back. The short avian turned back to the monitors aboard the medium-sized vessel, checking the battle between Kanchapp and Frieza.

He gave a loud squawk and hopped back as the instruments started buzzing and sparking as they struggled to register Frieza's new power level "By the spirits..." he whispered, Polarri and Ais looking up from their mourning to see just what the commotion was. "I-is that Lord Frieza?!" Ais asked in shock, taking a step back. "N-no way...Just like Lord Cooler..." she whispered, giving some small sniffles.

As the sparking of the machinery stopped, Midgyo cautiously approached to examine the instruments to see just how powerful Frieza had become "H-his...his power level has increased at least thirty fold..." he murmured, checking the readings "In this new fifth form his power level is...3,864,000,000" he whispered, in disbelief at his own words. "GO FRIEZA! KILL THAT FROG FOR WHAT HE'S DONE TO US!" Polarri yelled, her voice straining with anger and grief.

* * *

Kanchapp was standing up on shaky legs on a floating lump of debris, trying hard to ignore the pain in his broken hand. He had put so much power into that punch and all he succeeded in doing was hurting himself. He could hear Frieza's threatening voice in his head, no taunts or jokes, not threats either...He knew Frieza well enough to know what he was saying were promises. He needed to think fast and make a move, because Frieza was flying straight toward him, a burning red comet in the blackness of space.

He pulled his working hand back, summoned up a large ball of ki into his hand, and then shot that arm straight toward Frieza, a large white beam of him arcing toward him. Frieza made absolutely no gesture to stop the attack or dodge it, he simply flew headlong into the blast. The beam split clean in half as he flew through it, leaving not a single mark on Frieza's snowy white flesh.

Seeing that his blast was doing fuck all, Kanchapp broke off the attack and started weaving and flying through the crowds of rebel ships. Frieza didn't waste the time weaving around the frigates, he just flew straight into them, smashing through the thick metal hulls of the rebel crafts in his pursuit of his vile traitor. He could see volleys of laser fire being exchanged by the rebel fleet and the fleeing Arcosian ships, but the icy tyrant ignored them, soley focused on Kanchapp."Piss OFF!"` Kanchapp roared, firing rapid fire ki bullets at Frieza. His glaring red eyes kept that unblinking hatred constant as he flew into the volley, letting every single shot hit him just so the Zaltian could realise just how futile his attempts were against the newly empowered Frieza.

The demonic Arcosian raised his hands, his telekinesis grabbing ahold of several enemy fighters, and then started pushing them toward the fleeing Zaltian. The crafts converged and crushed in on him, before a large explosion enveloped Kanchapp, his sparking body being consumed by the blast before it launched him into the deck of one warship. "Ngh..." the Zaltian sputtered, weakly standing up "Hah...has to...has to be a way to beat him!" he snapped, his aura intensifying and scorching the metal beneath his feet. "There is none." Frieza said, suddenly behind Kanchapp with his arms crossed. Kanchapp turned slowly, fear in his glowing eyes. And in the span of a second Frieza had grabbed his head and slammed him into the hull of the warship, before he started flying along and grinding Kanchapp's face into the metal. He took a firm grip on the general's skull and then flung him up, his face bloodied and filled with glinting shards of metal.

"Guh...Sh-shit..." he grunted, floating backward. Suddenly he bumped into something, and he very quickly realised he had bumped into Frieza "Gah! Why won't you just die?!" he yelled, pulling his working hand back. The Arcosian rapidly moved his tail, the tip curling around his neck in a vice-like deathgrip. Kanchapp was giving strangled gasps and chokes of pain and, in a desperate attempt to break free, started channeling his remaining ki into his muscles. His body pumped up to a ludicrous degree, his brigtness almost tripled, and the lightning on his body increased in surface area.

"There'll be no more of that." Frieza spat, jamming two fingers into Kanchapp's abdomen and twisting them until the Zaltian gave a choke of pain and stopped powering up. His skin turned to it's normal red hue, his aura vanished and his muscles shrunk down till he looked almost skeletal compared to how he had been. "You don't get to die..." Frieza said simply, gripping Kanchapp's good arm and giving it a small yank, pulling his arm from it's socket with an audible _*Crack!* _, causing the general to cry out as he lost the use of his other arm "Not yet."

Without another word Frieza started flying toward the moon of Blizzah, now a satellite with nothing to orbit, his tail still firmly gripping Kanchapp's throat. They reached the glimmering icy spires, shining like diamonds against the glow of Frieza's aura, and in one swift motion of his tail the tyrant flung Kanchapp onto one spire which tore straight through the weakened Kanchapp's abdomen. He cried out in grand agony, blood shooting from his mouth and drifting through the black void. That ice spire now looked very red indeed. Still Frieza was not done. Not while Kanchapp stillhad the use of his legs...

The Arcosian raised a hand up and pointed a finger at Kanchapp's right knee, blowing a hole straight through it with a Death Beam, and then rapidly doing the same with the other knee. Frieza watched with unblinking eyes as Kanchapp writhed and cried in intense pain. He felt no joy from the spectacle, it was a hollow victory that wouldn't restore what he had lost, but certainly he felt no regret...This bastard deserved it, he was a genocidal despot...But then Frieza thought on his own past, how his actions had effectively caused all of this. He gave an enraged growl at that realisation, rejecting it for the time being, before turning his gaze to the rebel fleet. Such a large debris field, and it seemed all the Arcoians had fled, leaving only a few rebel ships that hadn't made an escape.

Frieza could still do more damage to the bastards who took his world from him, and it would be an interesting way to test out his new power level.

he raised his ivory hands up above his head and formed a crackling violet orb of ki which rapidly grew in size until it was about the same size of Blizzah. Frieza flung the mighty energy ball forth "Taste my **Cataclysm Strike** you traitors!" the tyrant spat, the moon-sized ki blast moving at an incredible pace to the starships who were scrambling to flee. The Cataclysm Strike simply engulfed many of the ships, but once it looked like they were about to make that jump into hyperspace, Frieza clenched both his fists and detonated the ki blast, blowing the remaining rebel crafts to bits. He didn't know what to think, even as he saw his foes gone. Was he triumphant?

Then all was silence, until he heard a broken laugh from Kanchapp.

Frieza turned sharply and aimed a finger at the dying Zaltian "What is the meaning of this?! How dare you laugh at me!" Frieza growled, his voice far deeper now in his fifth form. "You...don't get it...do you?" Kanchapp wheezed out, coughing and wretching up more blood "Even if my...rebellion has...fuh-failed, I...Still won. I've hurt y-you with more than just...physical wounds. Your planet is...guh-gone. Dead. N-no empire either...You've nothing." he croaked out weakly, giving a cracked, wheezing laugh.

Frieza kept scowling as, deep down he knew this to be true. Thankfully Kanchapp could see none of Frieza's facial expressions, even if the Zaltian was capable of opening his eyes. "We'll see." Frieza said simply, turning his back on Kanchapp and leaving him to die a low, torturous death on this moon without a planet. He reached telepathically across the galaxy and contacted Midgyo _'I'm ready for pick-up.' _the Arcosian said, staring at the fragments of his home and empire. _'We're on our way Lord Frieza!'_ the Litt replied obediently. 'Lord' Frieza, the very title stung him now.

When the purple diamond-like craft approached, entering from hyperspace, and opened a door for him, Frieza wordlessly floated inside. He could see the tears that had marked the faces of Ais and Polarri, and pangs of guilt hit his cold heart. He knew that ultimately, he was responsible for their sorrow. "W-where shall we go now Lord Frieza?" Midgyo asked, heading to the control panels of the ship. "Lord of what?" Frieza asked, giving a small grunt as his body shifted back to normal. A low sigh escaped his purple lips "Just...Head somewhere we can pick up supplies." he said with a sigh "I need some rest..." he said, quietly walking to an elevator on the craft, this vessel his late father had dubbed 'The Shatterstar.'

He had walked to one chamber on the ship and flopped onto the bed, quietly shut his eyes. So many things swirled in his mind, but one thing stood out above all else:

_"Through fear, Frieza. His subjects follow him because they fear his wrath...Mark my words though Frieza, anyone who ruled through fear will one day face rebellion. Their subjects will realise that a life lived in fear is no life at all. No matter how slim their chances of victory would be, they'd rather die for freedom than to live any longer beneath the boots of a tyrant."_

* * *

A/N: Haha, the Kanchapp arc is over and Frieza's journey from tyrant to hero will formally begin. He will undergo many journies and challenges before he heads to Earth. We'll see a familiar face or two, and Frieza will also be making some new allies for his journey.

For Frieza's fifth form I kinda based it on several different pictures for Frieza's hypothetical transformation. I operated under the logic that, while there would be some similarities such as the red eyes and bone mask, Frieza's new form would ultimately be different to his brothers in appearance. The power multiplier for this form is 30 times his 100% form, and with it active Frieza would be around Ascended Super Saiyan in terms of power.


	10. Travelling

It had been little over a week since the destruction of Arcos and the flight of Frieza's crew. The former prince had spent that time pondering what his next move should be, as it was a scenario he'd never imagined he'd be in he had no pre-made plans to handle it. Of course, finding a way to bring back Arcos and it's people were the most important things on his mind, and for the first time in over a year, defeating the Super Saiyan's became #2 on Frieza's to-do list.

The only problem was, just how would Frieza accomplish this?

He knew from experience that the Namekian Dragon Balls were far more experience than they were worth, even if he hadn't blown the stupid planet to rubble. He couldn't have gotten those balls to work without knowledge of the Namekian language, and no Namekian would help him in that regard. For a brief moment, Frieza felt...Guilt?! Over the destruction of that stupid ugly backwater planet?! He was getting soft...Or at least that's what he told himself. He knew full well why he had felt like that, because he had endured the same pain he inflicted on the Namekians. Hell, when he thought on the matter he realised he had gotten off light compared to what he did to Namek. Arcos' destruction had been instantaneous, Frieza had launched a lengthy campaign of terror all across Namek and casually killed Namekians of all ages on an individual level. Frieza had decided to stop thinking on Namek altogether once that realisation dawned on him, lest he go mad thinking about it.

It had been Midgyo who suggested looking for Dragon Balls on other worlds, and went on to suggest the possibility of Dragon Balls on Earth. Ah now there was a good idea. He could get his wish to restore Arcos and then use his new powers to beat those Super Monkies into the dirt. Killing two birds with one stone, an excellent notion! Still, it would take some time to reach the Sol system from the now desolate Arcosian system. And thus began the crew's lengthy journey across the galaxy, to restore what had once been a galactic empire.

While travelling, Frieza had spent most of his time in the Shatterstar's relatively small gravity chamber, honing his fifth form for his future rematch with Goku. Midgyo had, naturally, handled the tech aspects of the ship and he had Ais and Polarri acting as his assistants. And that's how things would have stayed, were it not for the fact that they needed to stock up on supplies. Such was the case on this particular day, where they had set the Shatterstar down on the arrid trading planet of Krebnis.

* * *

Midgyo, with the help of Ais and Polarri had managed to purchase a decently sized food cache with some oney they had to spare, which they promptly stored back aboard the Shatterstar. Waiting for Frieza to return to the port, the trio had grabbed some soda's from the nearest fridge and took a seat on a wall, gazing out to the distant white and brown buildings of the cityscape.

"Can I ask you girls something?" Midgyo asked, glancing at Polarri and Ais who were sitting to his right-hand side. "Shoot." Ais said, taking a small sip of soda. he could see in their eyes that the loss of the homeworld had still left them slightly shaken, though the hope of the Dragon Balls restoring their homeworld had brought some joy to the two Arcosian lasses. "Well, for all this time we've known each other, not once have I found out just how you came into the service of Lord Frieza, and why you've stuck by him through this." the Litt asked, lazily scratching his cheek.

Polarri gave a soft smile and looked to the distant red sun "Ais and me were just two street rats back when we were little kids, had to beg and steal to get by. It had been by complete chance that we bumped into Lords Frieza and Cooler and their late mother while they were out for a walk." she explained, taking a small sip of her soda. Ais gave a nod "Yeah, we just froze up when we saw them...no pun intended...And the Queen just sort of looked at us in a bemused manner. Cooler asked if we needed jobs, and then Frieza said that the palace was in need of brand new hand maidens. The Queen seemed surprised, but she consented." Polarri gave a small laugh and wiped the back of her hand as a few dribbles of cola escaped the corner of her mouth "She was so nice. So yeah, after that we spent so much time tending to Frieza because, well thanks to him we had jobs that paid money, warmth and regular nutrition. We owe him alot." the Arcoian maiden finished.

"Wow, that's...an oddly sweet story." Midgyo said, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, it was back before Frieza was young, before he became so damn venemous and destructive and sadistic..." Ais said with a casual shrug. "How come you're still with us Midgyo? You could've probably snuck away at some point and got away..." Polarri remarked, leaning in a little. The Avian gave a nervous laugh and stared at the soda can in his hand "Well, truth be told I, I owe my life to Frieza even if he doesn't realise it. If he hadn't taken me off of King Cold's spaceship, then I could've died on earth. I'm in his debt, and I'll stick with him as long as he needs me." the Litt said, sounding almost a little proud of himself.

Ais gave a laugh "That's pretty badass, bird nerd." she remarked as she crushed her empty can in one hand. "Well, yeah...Plus I couldn't just leave you two lovely ladies without my company." Midgyo said with another chuckle. Polarri bit her lower lip and then planted a small kiss on the Litt's beak "How sweet of you, we just might have to think of a way to thank you for that kindness." she remarked with a small smile and a blush on her cheeks, before she flipped off the wall and casually walked back to the Shatterstar.

Midgyo looked dumbstruck to say the least.

* * *

Frieza, meanwhile, had been roaming the streets of this dirty desert planet in an attempt to see if there was anything worth buying. Yet, he found himself growing increasingly annoyed, the deeper he went into this city. Every single fucking peasant was watching him, and whispering to each other in hushed frantic tones as he walked past. It easily grated on Frieza's nerves, no matter how much attention he put on the stores before him.

"Is that F-Frieza?" he heard one voice whispered. "I heard he died on Namek!" "No dummy, that was Cooler." The stupidity caused Frieza to grit his teeth and made him clench his fists. He kept his gaze transfixed on one store window, and yet still he could see their reflections against the streaked glass. "Pfft, couldn't be Frieza..." one lout remarked "How come?" his female companion asked "What, you didn't hear? His whole stupid planet got blown up by rebels, like what he did to the Saiyans." he replied, rolling his eyes to the orange skies above.

That pushed Frieza over the limit, comparing what happened to him to what he did to those stupid Saiyan apes. "STOP. WHISPERING!" Frieza snarled, spinning around rapidly. His eyes sparked and a massive explosion ripped through the building behind the crowds, causing the crowds to scream and flee for miles around. Frieza took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm his nerves, and then finally he stood up fully "Guh...Stupid peons. They don't understand anything..." he said, spitting on the ground. He briefly noted that he hadn't actually killed anyone with the blast...Was that intentional? No, no...Of course not. Those fools just got very, very lucky.

Still, this encounter had made something quite clear to Frieza, that from here on out he'd need a disguise when not on the Shatterstar if he was to avoid the attention of the chattering masses.

So Frieza examined the now deserted city streets, checking for any sort of clothing store. He soon found the closest thing, an armour emporium titled 'Tuff-Tech.' How quaint. Frieza kicked the metal door clean off it's hinges and stalked inside, looking for something stylish yet functional for what the former ruler had in mind. He snatched up a red chest plate that covered the upper part of his torso and had a crotch guard. Beneath those armoured plates was a white fabric shirt that went down to his wrists. He slipped on some thick onyx gloves, then some baggy black trousers, and then some shining red metal boots. "Now for the facial covering..." Frieza mubled to himself as he browsed the helmet shelves.

After a few seconds of browsing, the Arcosian snatched up a red metal helmet that covered his whole face and head, the helmet also having two violet lenses for him to see through. As he clamped the helmet shut he took an experimental breath through the breather to see if it still worked. Satisfied with the helmet, he snatched up a black hooded cloak and donned it before quickly rushing down the streets toward the spaceport.

He saw Ais and Polarri floating above the Shatterstar, Polarri holding Midgyo under the arms so he could stare off int the city as well. When Frieza glanced back over his shoulder he could see what they were all staring at: the explosion he had caused earlier had caused a rather large plume of jet black smoke which was coiling up into the sky. "Should we...should we go investigate?" Polarri asked, tilting her head to one side. "That won't be necessary." Frieza called out from the ground, his voice slightly distorted by the breather in the helmet. He saw the trio stare down at him with raised brows, causing Frieza to roll his eyes and flick the visor open.

"Had a small incident in town, decided to grab a disguise so that I could walk around without being bothered." he remarked, opening the landing ramp of the Shatterstar "Now come on, we have to ger back on our journey." he said as he walked back aboard the purple diamond. "Yes sir!" Midgyo said as he and the Arcosian maidens headed aboard the craft.

* * *

3 star systems and 2 weeks had passed by until the Shatterstar needed to head to port again, this time for fuel. Frieza cursed all these inconveniences slowng their journey down, and knowing that Saiyan he was probably getting stronger all the time, much like frieza was trying to do aboard the ship's gravity chamber.

Midgyo had landed the Shatterstar on a small garden panet called Moggoth, going for one town which according to the scanners had a fuel depot. Frieza honestly had never been here before, nor had he heard of the planet...Or perhaps he had heard of it and siply didn't care enough to remember it when it first came up. Likely it was one of those worlds not in the now disbanded Planet Trade Organisation. Before disembarking with the others, Frieza donned his armour and then headed out.

"Let's make this quick Midgyo, I'd rather not tally on a planet like this..." he remarked. "Of course sir, we just need to...find someone to provide directions..." Midgyo said, his eyes glancing about a seemingly deserted spaceport. All was silent, save for a small gust of wind whistling through the small structures of the town. "Hmph, well that's very odd. No signs of battle, but there are some small ki signatures around." the Arcosian mumbled, his optics beeping and buzzing as he cast his gaze over the town. "Um...Sh-should we...Look I'll be honest I'm getting a bad vibe here." Polarri remarked. Ais gave a scoff "Don't be such a big baby. And this is our best bet if we wanna keep on our journey to Earth." she remarked.

"Let's just do this already. Ugh it's so green here it's sickening..." Frieza said, walking along with the others. All the buildings were shut tight, yet Frieza could feel eyes on his group from the windows whenever they passed by. It was eerie, nothing but the sound of wind and their footsteps. "Just what is going on here...?" Midgyo asked quietly, scanning around with his eyes. "Psst, over here!" a hushed yet urgent voice called out from one open door "Get inside, quickly!" the voice added. Frieza glanced over his shoulder at his companions, who merely shrugged in unison. The former ruler gave a small grumble and walked into the two-storey maroon building, the owner shutting the door the second they were all inside the house. "Sheesh...You came to Moggoth at a bad time, strangers." the stranger said.

Frieza cast a glance to the woman who had who had let them in, seemingly a female member of Zarbon's species with her light blue skin and curly green hair. "And why's that?" Frieza asked, quirking a brow. "The towns of this planet have recently been terrorised by a roaming gang of superpowered bastards. People are too afraid to go out in the streets because of those dicks, because if they seen anyone out in the streets when they show up then they take it as a challenge to their power." the woman remarked, placing her hands on her girlish hips, her red skirt flowing slightly. "We...feel bad for the plight of your people, but we are in great need of some fuel missus...?"

"Kaffi. Miss Kaffi." she replied simply. She folded her arms under her breasts and shook her head "And I'm afraid it's not all that gang most likely raided the local fuel depot." Kaffi said, reaching up to tuck some stray hairs behind her ears. An irritated growl rose up Frieza's throat, and he punched his gloved fists together "Very well, if I have to beat the fuel out of those fools, then I will." he remarked as he headed to the door "Whoa whoa hey now..." Kaffi said, stepping forth "You have no idea how strong these guys are!" she said, earning a scoff from Frieza "And you, madame, obviously have no idea how strong I am..." he replied, brushing past her and heading out the front door without another word.

Kaffi gave an annoyed grunt "Stubborn one, isn't he." she said, glaring at the shut door. "To be fair, he's a pretty strong guy." Ais replied. "Yeah, strongest I know of!" Polarri shook her head and glanced to the floor "Yeah, well, better hope that's strong enough." Midgyo had done a quick inspection of the living room while Kaffi spoke with the two Arcosian women. One thing stood out as odd to him though, an strange statue on the table. It was hard to describe what it looked like, the best thing Midgyo could think of was the conical red skull of an alien, with a neon green tube in it's open maw.

"Hey, what's this thing?" the Litt asked, glancing at Kaffi from over his shoulder. "That? Ah it's a gift a friend gave me, it's a symbol of this new religion that's becoming kinda popular in the galaxy." "Oh?" Ais asked "What's this religion called?" The question caused Kaffi to knit her brow in thought "Um...The order of Lord Hatcha or something. they say that once he has enough worship, he'll rise up and destroy the most evil creatures in the universe. Hell of a story eh?" the homeowner remarked with a small laugh.

* * *

It had been dusk when they came, when darkness was falling over the green planet. Frieza had stayed out in the open for a few hour in anticipation and then from the distance he heard what sounded like an engine, along with loud hollers of laughter. Well whoever these bandits were, they seemed like such a civil bunch...

They set their shuttle, marked by crude spray-painted images and ramshackle metal chunks, down a few feet away from where Frieza was standing and following that the four bandits hopped off the shuttle. One, seemingly the leader as he had the highest power level from what Frieza could sense, was a hulking crocodilian monster wearing battle armour that looked like it had been stitched together with pieces from all different models. Another was a cyclopic, fully mechanical humanoid that had no detectable power level, his silvery skin glinting in the pale, fading light. The third was a green skinned Serpian, the tallest yet seemingly the weakest of the bunch. He wore a white battle armour and black shorts that reached his knees. Finally there was a middle-aged, yellow-skinned, one-armed Brench who wore a white cloak over his red battle jacket and black bodysuit.

"Well well, what've we got here? A damn lone ranger?" the croc asked, cracking his gargantuan knuckles. Frieza smirked beneath his helmet, and kept his ki suppressed. "Scans indicate a power level of ten thousand." the robot remarked, earning guffaws of laughter from his comrades. "Pfft, that all?" the one-armed Brench remarked, spitting on the ground. The serpian gave a laugh "Chill guys, I got this..." the Serpian said confidently, pushing off the ground and zooming toward Frieza with one fist pulled back. In the span of a second Frieza unfurled the ivory tail around his waist and smashed the Serpian in the jaw, launching him through a wall.

"The...Strangers power level suddenly jumped to 1.5 Million." the machine said, mildly surprised, as did the rest of his comrades. "Huh...Guess he won't be such a pushover after all." the Brench said, starting to power up, his white aura illuminating the area. "Is that all you have for me?" Frieza asked in abored fashion, enraging the Brench slightly.

The Serpian pulled himself from the rubble and the two dashed at Frieza together. The Brench launched a strong uppercut and the Serpian started to swing in with a roundhouse kick. Frieza spun around and caught the Brench's fist mid-swing, while his other arm shot up to block to incoming kick. The impact caused a small tremor through the town and kicked up some small clouds of dust, but the force seemed to effect none of the combatants. "Hm, power levels 99 thousand and 2.7 million. Well that's boring." Frieza remarked, smirking beneath his helmet. He gave a grunt and started powering up, spitting the ground directly beneath his feet and launching his foes backward. "Power lvel of...15 million." the cyclopic robot said, blinking it's sole neon blue eye.

Frieza gave a grin and flew skyward, pursued by the two brigands who had powered up to their limits. "We can take you down!" the green Serpian spat, launching two crimson eye beams at Frieza. The disguised Arcosian, twisted in mid-air, only getting scuffs in his chestplate for his trouble. He launched several purple bolts of ki at the Serpian which were all narrowly avoided. "Son of a bitch, he's holding back!" the serpentine alien spat.

The Brench flew forth and smashed both his feet into Frieza's back, before delivering a flurry of bicycle kicks which knocked Frieza back a few feet. The icy tyrant gave a few grunts of discomfort and finally caught both of the Brench's feet. He spun is foe around rapidly and then released his grip, smashing him into the Serpian. He moved quickly and formed a white ki orb in his palm, tossing it into the two bandit warriors. The ensuing explosion launched the two brigands into a distant hill. Not letting up his assault, Frieza fored a miniature Death Ball on his fingertip and launched it at the hill the two had collided with. The mini orb of red ki had vaporised the hill, and the two alien warriors, instantly and left naught but a billowing cloud of smoke, an ugly black patch in a field of green.

"Hmph." Frieza said, folding his arms. "Pitiful, how such weaklings inspire fear." he remarked. It was at that moment that a gold ki ball struck his right arm, launching him across the sky. The former prince gave a grunt and rubbed his torn sleeve, looking to the machine who had struck him, smoke billowing from it's open mouth.

The Arcosian was struck again by a savage punch to the spine by the reptilian beast, and frieza released a strangled gasp of pain. The giant gripped Frieza's cape and spun him around a few times before releasing him and launching him toward the robot who was prepping another mouth beam. Frieza spun mid air and smashed the side of the robot's skull, sending cracks up along the metal surface and sending the machine through the sky above the town. Frieza's optics beeped and his gaze was turned to a fast-approaching green ki beam. Strong enough to vaporise the whole town if Frieza dodged it and let it hit the town, and he certainly couldn't let his only allies die. He powered up, his ki quickly juping to 50 million, and swung his boot up kicking the energy blast straight up into the heavens and recieving a scorch on his boot from deflecting the blast. It exploded with a radiant white flash, which Frieza had to shut his eyes slightly to avoid being briefly blinded by the attack.

While he couldn't sense the roboy heading his way, Frieza did indeed hear the approach of the mechanical menace. Purple lightning formed on his fingertips and he rapidly swung his arm at the robot twice, each swing producing a purple arc of ki, bisecting the machine with his Fissure Slash attack. "Bastard!" the Croc yelled, flying straight toward Frieza. The Arcosian took a hard clothesline to the face which sent him tumbling through the air. He corrected himself in time to block an incoming knee strike with both arms, however the crocodilian alien took advantage of his larger size and managed to smash Frieza in the back of the helmet with his elbow.

A grunt of pain escaped Frieza's lips, but before he could counter, the remaining bandit had gripped his skull within those massive scaley hands, and then started rapidly flying to the ground. When they hit the rock patch of land, they it it hard. A massive tremor rang out, creating a large crater where they had hit the earth and sending shockwaves to the town in the distance.

The hulking alien kept his grip firm on Frieza's helmet, and the former prince could almost hear the sound of it cracking. Thinking quickly his tail shot up, the tip piercing through the croc's armour and then into his stomach. The ebast roared and howled in pain, stumbling back and clutching the bleed hole in his abdomen. The Arcosian delivered a swift punch to the croc's jaw, sending a spray of blood and broken tooth fragments across the dirt, followed by a rapid snap kick to the beast's ribs and sending him several metres through the dirt.

The Croc stood up and glared at Frieza, starting to power up again "You son of a bitch...I have a power level of 50 Million, the only person who could be stronger than me is Frieza!" he roared. the icy alien grinned beneath his helmet "Exactly." Frieza raised two fingers up and fired a small red dot into the croc's pierced stomach, causing the alien to gag and double over in pain. "What is...What did you do to me...?" the hulking beast wheezed out, his aura vanishing.

"I beat you." Frieza said coldly, clenching his fist and expanding the energy dot rapidly inside his foe, until he exploded spectacularly and left nought but a few chunks behind.

Satisfied, Frieza started flying back to the Moggoth village, his purple aura illuminating the dark sky. When he landed, the various colonists came flooding fro their houses, showering Frieza with their thanks for freeing them from the reign of those bandits. _'They're...Cheering for me.' _Frieza thought to himself _'It feels different than when I had an army who worshipped me out of fear...This feels sort of...nice.'_ he thought again, the corners of his lips twitching into a small genuine smile.

"Are you okay sir?" Ais asked, inspecting the damage done to his clothing. Frieza kept smiling beneath his helmet as he walked to the bandit craft, searching through it until he found a cache of fuel cells "Better than ever. Come on, back to the ship. Our mission is far from over."

* * *

A/N: Kind of a long chapter this time around, and I did briefly consider splitting in two...But then again, the battle wasn't anything major so I saw no point in dividing the chapter for that.

One thing from the reviews I wanted to address was from Zengame regarding Cooler's power level. It's difficult to define how powerful the movie villains are, as only a few of them can really fit into a canon storyline, and even then it's at a period where we know little about. For example, Cooler's Revenge seems to have taken place in the 3-year wait for the Androids. But all we know about Goku's power level at that point was that he had undergone a large Zenkai after fighting Frieza and had been doing some training on Yardrat, and then with Gohan and Piccolo. So we know he was stronger than he was against Frieza, but we don't know how much so.

When it comes to Cooler's power level, he himself admits that Frieza had an edge on him in strength until he found the 5th form. From how well he handled Piccolo, I'd say he might be around 60,000,000+ in his 4th form, at least. But that's a really rough guess mind you.

Next chapter, Frieza gets his first new ally.


	11. Frustrated

Hi, Mr. Arkham here, want to start the chapter off a little differently this time around by giving a foreword. I feel that there's been a grave misunderstanding over Frieza's good feelings after saving the colonists. Frieza isn't a hero yet. He didn't help those people out of any sense of duty or justice, his motives were purely selfish. The bandits had fuel cells that Frieza needed, so he took it upon himself to reclaim them.

The whole point of that little encounter was to teach Frieza a lesson that, if you do good, you'll feel good. He didn't intend for it to happen, and he doesn't really intend to continue acting in such a way. His whole thought process rught now is 'Hm, that was nice. Now back to hunting down my most hated enemy and stealing his Dragon Balls!'

Maybe I wasn't clear enough in that regard and if that's the case I apologise, I do tend to muck up around the end of chapters, but I simply wanted to make it clear that Frieza still isn't a good guy, not yet. Now, without further delay, back to the story.

* * *

_He found himself in a familiar scene, the upper atmosphere of Planet Vegeta. Only something was very different now. He was staring up at his own flying saucer, surrounded by fearful soldiers. One arm hung limp at his shoulders, blood trailing down. His armour was fractured all over, and sweat trailed down his skin. Something was very wrong about this. When he looked up, seeing a floating bubble chair on the roof of the flying saucer, he saw...himself in that chair, grinning wickedly. For a brief moment it looked like Kanchapp, but only for a split second, and then he saw himself again._

_Words were exchanged, muffled terms that Frieza couldn't hear even when he was the one saying them. The words of betrayal were the only ones he heard clearly._

_He moved his working arm and formed a blue ball of ki, crackling with all his power, and he could see...the other Frieza raise a single finger up and form a massive Supernova above his pale fingertip. The two attacks were flung across the black void of space, the blue ki ball being engulfed and swallowed by the Supernova almost instantly. He tried desperately to hold back the encroaching attack, but he was swallowed by the blazing ki ball which carried him down, down, down...And then Frieza was destroyed along with Planet Vegeta and the Saiyan race._

_Despite the destruction of the planet going on all around him, there was only one thing Frieza could hear. The distant maniacal laughter of...himself._

_"HAHAHA, WOW! THIS IS...STUPENDOUS! WHAT A GREAT SHOW! UNBELIEVABLE! AHAHAHA!"_

_He found himself surrounded by darkness then. A deep and impenetrable darkness which seemed to stretch on for infinity. He couldn't move, he couldn't see, he could hear nothing going on around him. He tried to scream...nothing came out, for he had no mouth. _

_"Why..." a distant whisper called out, a distinctly feminine voice._

_"Why...Frieza..." the voice asked, now slightly closer. He tried to look around but still saw nothing. Several seconds of silence passed by, and then Frieza suddenly saw a shade of his mother standing just before his gaze, pity and sorrow marking her red eyes. He tried to say something, but his mouth was still gone._

_"Why Frieza...Why did you kill them all...? The subjects who pledged allegiance to you, the people who did nothing to you..." Frieza tried to make a response, but nothing could form. His mother's spectre continued "Has your father's evil polluted your mind so thoroughly? Are his teachings responsible for your actions...? You could have done so much..."_

_And then he was alone again. Only darkness surrounding him, darkness which stretched on for infinity. He couldn't move. He couldn't see. He couldn't hear. He tried to scream again, and at last he found his voice._

* * *

"MOTHER!" Frieza cried out, sitting up in bed and clutching his violet sheets tight in his balled fists. His chest rose and fell rapidly with harsh breaths, and skin ran slowly down his snowy skin. "A dream..." Frieza muttered quietly, placing a hand to his furrowed brow. His breathing slowed down to a more normal pace, and the former ruler could feel his heartbeat slow down so that his pulse was far less panicked. Frieza ran a wand down his sweat-soaked face and then flung the drops across the small bedroom "What's going on in my head...?" he asked quietly.

He sat still and cast his gaze about to make sure this place was real, and even pinched himself to make sure that he was awake. Yes, now he was in reality. The knowledge provided Frieza with little comfort though, and as he fell back and shut his eyes he found that sleep evaded him.

"Damn it..." Frieza grumbled as he slipped out of bed. He walked from his bed, out into the corridors, and then headed for the bridge of the Shatterstar to speak with Midgyo and to see how their voyage was progressing. The elevator ascended quickly from the crew quarters of the diamond-shaped vessel and headed straight for the bridge of the ship and once Frieza reached the controls of the ship he did indeed see Midgyo monitoring the craft.

"Ah, Lord Frieza." the green Litt greeted, bowing quickly to his commander "All is well I hope?" Midgyo asked as soon as he stood up fully once again. He could see Frieza's annoyed expression as he walked to the captain's chair and took his seat "Yeah...I'm gonna guess that all is not well with you." the avian alien replied, trying to choose between examining Frieza and examining the ship's instruments.

"Things are indeed, not well with me Midgyo. My sleep is haunted by bad dreams..."Frieza replied, trailing off so that he could prop his chin up on his hand. "This has been happening since I fought that simian bastard on Namek, although in the past these dreams were all memories of my childhood. When I went to sleep earlier though, I experience something...much different, a horrid nightmare." he explained. Midgyo gave a nod, and Frieza continued "It was the destruction of Planet Vegeta, and I was...well I think I was that lone Saiyan rebel who made a foolish last stand against me, and I fought myself. I was...engulfed by the other me's ki blast, and destroyed along with that monkey planet..." Frieza took a deep breath through his nose, as if trying to recall the rest "And then I was nowhere. Alone and deprived of my senses. I saw my mother and she asked me...why had I killed the people loyal to me, and the people who had nothing to me..." Frieza trailed off, before giving an enraged growl and punching the armrest of the captain's chair "You're a scientist, so do...science, and tell me what the hell that all means!"

Midgyo gulped hard, now faced with a very angry Arcosian who could destroy him with a hard stare. The Litt took a deep breath, and then began"Well...Perhaps the image of your mother represents a guilty conscience of some sort?" he offered. Frieza's mouth tugged into a thin frown and his eyes narrowed. "W-well I-I-I mean...I've never studied psychology all that much, mainly focused on military engineering when it comes to science...But the vision of your mother was just an aspect of your dream, a figment of your mind...On some level at least, you must be showing some guilt over what you did to the Saiyans, maybe even drawing comparisons for what happened to Planet Vegeta to what happened on Arcos."

At this, Frieza's eyes started to glow crimson, but his lips kept that same tight frown "You better change that damn story before I use you to paint the wall!" he spat. Midgyo squawked and raised both his hands before his face "Lord Frieza, please, no! I'm sorry!" he cried out, trembling in terror.

It was at that moment that one of the control panels behind Midgyo started beeping. Frieza's eyes lost their glow and he glanced toward the blinking light "Go check on that." he ordered sternly, tapping a polished black nail against his cheek. Midgyo gave a respectful bow and rushed to the control panel as fast as his little legs would carry him.

"Oh dear..." the Litt murmured as he examined the control panel before him, pulling up a holographic screen to detail the ships specs. "Hyperdrive seems to be overheating a little, we'll need to de-space and travel at normal speed until the drive cools down again." Midgyo explained. Frieza gave a long sigh of exasperation and shook his head. The icy tyrant stood up from the captain's chair and looked to Midgyo "Very well. Proceed." Frieza said, watching as Midgyo tapped on the control panel.

The split second they re-entered normal space, the ship was shaken and Frieza very nearly lost his footing "What the hell?! Midgyo, report, now!" Frieza snarled. The ship shook around once more, and Midgyo tightly gripped the control panel.

"A-asteroid field!" the Litt cried out, squawking as another rock struck the hull of the Shatterstar. A growl escaped Frieza's black lips and he raised both his hands up. A blue glow illuminated Frieza's flesh and he used his telekinesis to form a crackling pale blue energy barrier around the slightly beaten Shatterstar, the barrier deflecting any other asteroids from the ship. Ais and Polarri had dashed into the bridge a few seconds later, both wide-eyed in shock and fear. "L-lord Frieza, what's going on?!" Polarri asked, in a deep panic.

"This little idiot almost got us smashed in an asteroid field!" Frieza snapped, glaring at Midgyo, who gave a meek apology as he checked the damage done to the hull, while steering the Shatterstar out of the asteroid field at the same time.

"We need to set the ship down somewhere so that I can do manual repairs to the hull. Even the smallest cut in the hull could lead to something more catastrophic..." Midgyo explained, running a quick scan on the solar system to check for inhabitable planets "Hrm, slim pickings...Only one with a breathable atmosphere is that desert planet there...Database says it's called Tsansorm, no sentient species listed...Boy the wildlife listed here is nasty. Ah the hell with it, we have no other choice." the Litt explained, steering toward Tsansorm.

"Oh wonderful." Frieza grumbled "Another fine setback."

Tsansorm was a very harsh and very unpleasant world. Frieza shuddered to think how badly he'd be sweating if he had bothered to put his armour on. The Arcosian felt the hot sand between his three elongated toes as he paced around the ship, noting the dents that had been formed on the hull of the Shatterstar after the little asteroid belt adventure. His eyes roamed to Ais and Polarri who were busily setting some turrets up around the perimeter of the ship, and then he glanced to Midgyo who was sorting through a variety of bizarre looking tools "How long will this take?" Frieza asked, his ivory tail swishing around impatiently.

Midgyo wiped some sweat from his brow with the back of his hand and then looked to Frieza "Oh, well...if the damage is only on the surface then it should be little over a day. If anything major has been done to the inner workings of the ship...Well I can't really say how long it'll take in that case..." he replied, earning a scoff and an eyeroll from Frieza "Just get it done." he said simply, before powering up and taking off across the sandy wasteland. He needed some exploration to clear his head. With all these setbacks, Frieza was growing increasingly frustrated.

He flew across the dusty plains and found himself with a profound sense of deja vu to Namek, in that every single part of this planet he flew over looked the goddamn same! Nothing but sand, deformed cactus-like plants, and very ugly rock was one of those ugly planets with no right to exist...

Several of the native beasts burst from the sand to accost Frieza, giant scaley dog would be the best term to describe them, and by the standards of animals they were powerful enough with power levels in the thousands according to Frieza's optics. Doubtless they grew so powerful to survive this harsh hellhole of a planet. Still no competition for Frieza, he swung his tail up and smashed the skull of one pouncing beast. He drove his heel into the throat of another creature and completely deformed it's windpipe. He quickly fired a Death Beam and blew out the heart of another creature before it could so much as jump off the ground. He thought he got all of them until he heard a snarling from behind him.

Frieza turned quickly to see one native monster lunging at him, one of his arms pulled back with a clenched fist ready to strike. However before the punch could land, the scaly creature was disintegrated by a ki blast which came from the sands below. With one eyebrow raised, Frieza glanced down to see just who had interfered with his battle.

The figure on the ground below had certain...curvy assets that made it quite clear to Frieza that she was a female. She was an inch or two short of seven feet, her skin was a dark ebony shade which was glistening with thin sweat, and she had very toned muscles. Her hair was crimson in colour and ran just past her shoulders. The armour she wore was, at one point a white battle jacket which had seen a great deal of wear and tear and as resources were so slim on this planet the repairs were scrappy. She had mainly applied animal bones and furs to the broken armour fragments, the most noticeable being the rather vicious animal skull she had on her right shoulder and her boots which were a mixture of old armour and beast leather. On her hip she wore a carved and sharpened bone dagger which was most likely used for precise skinning.

But the most shocking aspect of this strong, exotic woman to Frieza was the monkey tail swinging between her legs.

"'Sup alien guy?" the mysterious Saiyaness greeted, giving him a wave. Frieza seemed stunned into silence and paralysis at the sight of another Saiyan survivor, but the dark-skinned woman seemed not to notice and continued speaking regardless "Name's Inyon. Couldn't help but see your ship as you landed. Been kinda marooned here for...shit I dunno, like 20 years? Hard to tell time here, ya know?" Inyon said, floating up. She pursed her lips in thought and looked Frieza over "Hey...you seem familiar." she remarked, humming as she continued looking him over and examining his familiar features "Oh! Are you Lord Frieza?!" she asked, genuine curiousity painted on her face.

"Yes, I am." Frieza replied simply, still shocked by the presence of another Saiyan survivor. Inyon started floating upside down and gave a wicked grin "Sweet. You bring any Saiyans with you?" she asked.

At this, Frieza gave a cocky smirk and turned fully to Inyon "No, the Planet Vegeta is destroyed and the vast majority of the Saiyan race is dead. Killed by me." he said, his tone laced with pride. Inyon's eyes widened slightly at the news, but she then gave a shrug "Meh, I was planning on doing some genocide of my own if I ever got off this rock. That D-bag King Vegeta dumped me on this planet cause I kinda sucked at taking orders, and I semi-accidentally killed some of my comrades. Pfft, who am I kiddin'? I aimed at them on purpose."

Frieza seemed to be growing more annoyed by the young Saiyaness' ramblings, but he seemed rather surprised when she suddenly assumed a fighting stance "Hey, wanna spar? Bet I can beat you! I got reeeeaaaally strong on this craphole planet." she said with a grin on her face as she started powering up, her white aura flaring up. Frieza's eyes widened as his optics registered her large jump in power, seeing it just slightly higher than Kanchapp's base form.

The sudden challenge took Frieza by surprise, but he wasn't going to let this Saiyan ape think she was stronger than him. The Arcosian grit his teeth and powered up too "Fine monkey, if you want to die, then come at me!" he growled, purple ki flowing off his ivory skin. Readily accepting the challenge, Inyon flew forth and delivered a rapid roundhouse kick which Frieza ducked backward to avoid. He lashed his tail out, before giving a shocked gasp as Inyon caught it. He could see the schoolgirl grin on her face as she threw him through two boulders on the sandy ground. Not wasting a moment, Frieza used his telekinesis to launch the rock shards and a sand plume at the dark-skinned Saiyan who promptly flared her aura up to demolish the incoming projectiles. Frieza took his opportunity and suddenly appeared behind the Saiyaness, whom he promptly drop kicked into the sand.

Inyon started flipping across the sand, dodging some small ki blasts Frieza launched her way. She finally landed on her feet and swerved around an incoming Death Beam. A smirk appeared on her face and she fired a quick white ki beam at Frieza's abdomen which launched him back a few feet. She dashed up and swung a punch at the former ruler, which he blocked with one arm. Inyon narrowly dodged a tail stab but wasn't lucky enough to avoid a swift punch to the jaw which sent her flying back about a dozen feet.

The female Saiyan gave a hearty lagh and started rubbing at her bruised cheek "Haha! This is freaking awesome!" she remarked, much to Frieza's surprise. He gave an enraged snarl and flung a purple ki ball at Inyon, the explosion launching Inyon skyward and forming some small scorches on her ebony skin. She tucked her knees in and rolled skyward before halting her ascent.

The two lunged at each other again, launching flurries of punches and kicks at each other but none of them actually managed to make a connecting strike, their blows either being dodged, blocked or their foe simply turned out to be an after-image. Finally, Inyon landed a clean knee on Frieza's chin, before hooking both her hands together above her head and slamming them down on the bio gem on Frieza's skull, leaving a dent and smashing him into the hot sands of Tsansorm below.

Frieza burst from the smoke and buried his fist in Inyon's gut, making her grunt and wheeze as the blow broke of chunks of her battle armour. His bruised head swung up, smacking the Saiyaness in the face and causing a spray of blood to ooze from her bruised bottom lip. A manic laugh escaped Frieza's dark lips as he struck Inyon with an air pressure blast to her toned abs and smashed her into a large dusty mesa in the distance.

"Feh, stupid simian..." Frieza remarked, folding his arms over his chest. _'Still, this one is powerful. I can't get too cocky and leave her an opening by fighting fair...Time to test out the fifth form again.'_ he mused to himself. As he saw Inyon rise, smirking and wiping her bloody lip with the back of her fingerless white glove, he started to flare his crimson aura up. His skin glowed an ethereal white and this time his metamorphosis occured far faster. With a sudden flash of white light he loomed in the sky above in his Super Arcosian form, his body wreathed in crimson ki. His deep voice boomed across the desert as he yelled "Do you feel fear at the sight of my full power you simian fool?! Impotence?!"

To his shock however, Inyon was grinning like a kid in a candy store "Ooooh, transformations? Is it the transformation game?!" she asked giddily. Frieza's crimson eyes widened in fear.

_'No...'_ he thought in panic, seeing Inyon assume a power-up stance. The ground trembled beneath her feet, raising rocks into the air. A primal roar escaped her full lips, and for the briefest of moments her eyes flashed turquoise.

_'No no no!' _Frieza thought, his thoughts rapidly growing more panicked. He froze up entirely as he saw Inyon's aura flash from white to gold a few times. With a final yell, her crimson hair spiked upward slightly and turned golden as her eyes maintained their turquoise colour. With a grin on her face, a golden ki aura flowing around her ebony body, she looked up to Frieza and said "Super Saiyan. Pretty neat, eh?"

"Oh what the fuck." Frieza grumbled.

* * *

A/N: And thus another chapter ends. Next time, Frieza's fifth form gets put to the test. How will the situation be resolved?

Ah yes, for the nightmare sequence I tried a new style of writing, I wanted to make it seem like a stream of consciousness and something that was only semi-coherent. Not show how well it worked, but it was fun to try.


	12. Brawling

For a transformation that had once been a mere folk tale, the Super Saiyan transformation was becoming an irritatingly common sight for Frieza nowadays.

His red eyes stared down at the dark-skinned Super Saiyaness Inyon who was busily throwing rapid practice punches at the air before her, and he could feel angry veins popping up along his thick snowy skin. Things were certainly going to be more even than Frieza had once anticipated. While his base power was marginally higher than Inyon's own, the Super Saiyan power multiplier of fifty was larger than the Super Arcosian multiplier of thirty. As he pondered the possible power gap between them, he noticed that Inyon seemed to stop her warm up exercise.

"Okay, ready! Haven't gotten anything to really test this form on, but hot damn it's gonna be fun with you Freezer." the Saiyaness said, powering up her golden aura and kicking up a small sandstorm from the force of her ki. She flew at him then, leaving an arc of golden light behind her, and swung a roundhouse kick at Frieza which was narrowly avoided by the Frost Demon.

Frieza's hand shot up and he rapidly caught her by the ankle, and he swung his free fist up and smashed it into Inyon's gut causing the air to rush out of her at once. Keeping a grip on Inyon's ankle for a moment longer, he tossed her to the hot surface of Tsansorm below them and then launched a purple ki beam after her. However Inyon wasn't going down that easily. She gave a grunt and swung her boot up, kicking the ki beam away from her, and with that the Super Saiyan raced toward Frieza with a golden ki sphere in her palm. When the ki blast was slammed into Frieza's abdomen, the explosion sent him sailing across the sky with a trail of smoke billowing off the new scorch on his belly.

Yet Inyon did not stop there, she moved quickly and appeared straight behind Frieza, landing a harsh overhand punch to Frieza's brow which sent him crashing down into a mesa below. Frieza had been lodged a few inches into the rocky slope,yet he recovered his wits just in time to dodge a white finger beam from Inyon. Seeing her trying to close the distance, Frieza swung his arm up and hit the Saiyaness in the cheek with a haymaker so powerful it formed a small tremor that kicked up a small dust storm. While she was reeling back, Frieza flew around and kicked Inyon into the slope followed by a powerful telekinetic shove which blasted a deep ravine in the centre of the mesa.

Frieza watched as Inyon rose from the other end of the new ravine, coughing up sand and blood beneath her. Then she looked to Frieza and gave the biggest, stupidest, most childlike grin the Frost Demon had ever seen before. "This sparring match kicks ass!" she said, starting to power up.

Her attitude was very worrying to the Arcosian...She called it sparring, but from Frieza's point of view things had grown far more intense...Right now they were practically brawling.

They lunged at each other again, but when Friza swung his tail out all he hit was an after-image. Before he could make some sort of counter, Inyon slammed her heel into Frieza's chin, sending cracks up along the bony surface. The Saiyaness started delivering rapid-fire punches to Frieza's torso, leaving bumps and purple whelts on the ivory surface, before she swung one powerful uppercut at Frieza's jaw. The Arcosian was swift enough to catch her fist mid-swing, then caught her other fist when Inyon swung for a second punch.

The Frost Demon started swinging his head down, repeatedly headbutting Inyon in the brow and septum until he felt her hot blood running down his ivory brow. Inyon regained her wits quickly and slammed both her feet into Frieza's stomach, winding the former royal and causing him to release the wild Saiyaness. Not wasting a moment, she gave Frieza a hard uppercut to the chin and launched him a few metres away.

Frieza gave a grunt of pain, feeling more cracks had spread along the ivory bone mask. He opened one glowing red eye and saw Inyon busily cleaning her face with her once white glove "Man, I haven't had much chance to use this form, mainly against some of the super-badass monsters on this planet that I've hunted down already, but they don't hold a candle to you Frieza. Phew, I gotta tell ya, people weren't kidding when they spoke about how strong you are." she complimented, her golden aura dying down for a brief moment.

An irritated growl escaped Frieza's lips "Do you EVER shut up? Seriously, I have never heard one of you chimps prattle on so much...Not even that really stupid one on Namek..." he remarked, clenching both his fists. At that, Inyon gave a laugh.

"Ha, sorry. Kinda haven't had anyone to talk to in the past 20 or so years...Well nothing except inanimate objects and snarling monsters, but they ain't good for conversation. Guess the isolation drove me nuts. Well more nuts. Always been a little crazy. But see before I was here I was angry crazy, like pissed off all the time. I think the anger over being stuck here, plus the fact that I was about to be savaged, is what helped me transform. I just sorta snapped and became happy crazy atter that. Make the best of a bad situation, ya know? But maybe I'm remembering wrong cause my memories are usually totally fu-"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP NOW!" Frieza snapped, launching a massive purple ki beam at the lunatic Saiyaness. Inyon gave a sharp yelp and raised both hands to block the attack, but the ki blast quickly pushed her down to the hot sands of Tsansorm. Inyon was slammed into the planet's surface, followed by a massive explosion, kicking up a large cloud of sand and smoke. Frieza narrowed his crimson eyes as the smoke dispersed showing Inyon with blood and burns on her ebony flesh, standing in an expansive field of glassed sand. She spent a few moments catching her breath and then powered up her golden aura "Ngh! Hell yes, fucking love to bleed!" she yelled giddily.

Suddenly she moved, so fast that she completely dissapeared from sight. Not one to be outdone, Frieza moved equally as fast and the two super warriors started clashing across the blasted landscape of Tsansorm. Were a human to watch this clash, all they would see would be shockwaves across the skyline from the impacts they were delivering to each other.

After a lengthy bout at super speed, Inyon managed to get the upper hand, dodging one swift punch from Frieza and slamming her elbow into the back of his head. The Frost Demon gave a throaty growl of pain, but before he could counter, Inyon had roundhouse kicked him into a large rock formation which he was promptly embedded into. He managed to pry one arm free, just as he heard Inyon above him **"Atomic..."** Frieza glanced up, seeing a gold and red ki orb forming in her jaws **"BURST!" **she roared as she spat the large ki bullet at Frieza. He couldn't free himself in time, he only got his arms out in the nick of time to block the blast which ploughed him into the dirt and atomized the rock formation he had been previously lodged into.

The smoke cleared, and Frieza could feel the black burns stinging at the ivory flesh of his arms. The blast had done some damage even after Frieza had made a block against it, but something else was causing Frieza pain now. All his muscles were beginning to ache, and his it was becoming slightly harder to keep his aura up. Then an awful realisation hit the Frost Demon regarding his fifth form, one he hadn't noticed before due to only limited practice with the transformation in the past.

The Super Arcosian transformation caused strain on his body from prolonged use, and it was gradually making him weaker...

Was this why Cooler hadn't come after him when he first unlocked the form, a lack of control? Would he be able to maintain that power long enough if he fought Goku again? With enough practice could he go past this weakness?

A dozen thoughts ran through Frieza's mind, but he brushed them aside and glanced up to Inyon in the sky above. Fatigue was starting set in with her too, he could see that much...He'd have to end this quickly before he ran out of ki. Inyon dashed at Frieza, and the Arcosian quickly caught both her fists mid-punch. They were deadlocked now, both yelling and flaring their aura's up, creating intertwining columns of red and gold ki. A sandstorm raged all around them from their combined power, and it felt as if the whole planet would shake apart at any moment!

The glow of ki between them intensified, an a white hot energy blast exploded from their clash, creating a massive explosion that could vaporise an entire mountain range. The explosion blew the two super warriors away from each other, and then pain and fatigue knocked Frieza into unconsciousness.

* * *

He had no idea how long he'd been unconscious, but the sky above did seem a little darker. His body was sore all over, and a long low groan of pain escaped the former tyrants lips as his body forcibly transformed back into his fourth form. He spent a few moments catching his breath before sitting up, watching the expansive field of glassed sand with one open eye. _'Hah...I don't see the Saiyan monkey anywhere. Guess my fifth form is still superior to the Super Saiyan transformation...'_ he mused, smirking slightly to himself.

Then he heard a groan fro across the glassed field, and his eyes widened slightly when he saw Inyon sit , burnt, bloodied, out of ki and her armour very heavily damaged...but alive. This Saiyaness was determined if nothing else. "Oh man...hell...That was...Intense." Inyon remarked through ragged breaths as she placed a palm to her brow and ran her fingers through her crimson hair. She stood up on shaky legs and looked to Frieza "Wow Lord Frieza, you can kick some ass...Hey, mind if I tag along on your ship? You know I'd make for a kick ass partner. Plus I kinda don't like being on this stupid planet."

Frieza mulled the offer over, and while the thought of asking another Saiyan monkey for help disgusted him, there would indeed be some benefits. She certainly seemed to hold no loyalty to her species, and if some of those other fools tried to interfere with Frieza's fight against Goku she could hold them off. Plus he would have a decent training partner instead of just himself. A low sigh escaped Frieza's lips, and he stood up weakly "Very well. You can come with me and my crew, we're en route to Earth to restore my homeworld and species."

"Score!" Inyon said, punching the sky above her and very nearly losing her balance "Didn't understand the last part too well, but who cares, important thing is I won't be stuck on Tsansorm anymore!" she said, summoning the remnants of her ki to allow her to fly. Frieza grunted and mimicked her actions "You don't have anything to pick up, do you?" Frieza asked, to which Inyon shook her head. "Alright then, follow me. And learn to take orders." Frieza replied as they started flying toward where the Shatterstar had been landed several dozen miles away from the glass fields.

When they reached the Shatterstar, Frieza noted that Ais and Polarri were both in their fully unsealed forms, panting with exertion as they piled up the corpses of various reptiles and insectoids native to the planet "Ah, Lord Friez-AAAAGH!"Ais greeting quickly devolved into a screech when she noticed the ebony-skinned Saiyan flying beside Frieza, and the injuries both of them had.

"Relax. This Saiyaness is Inyon, she's an ally." Frieza assured Ais as he and Inyon landed by the ship. "Is this...Was she causing all those explosions on the horizon several hours ago?" Polarri asked as she shifted back to her 1st form and plucked up her discarded lime dress. Ais followed suit and donned her flowing beige dress. "Indeed, a sparring match that had gotten a little out of hand." Frieza replied, placing his hands behind his back. Despite his injuries, he was trying to stand proud "What did you think was going on?"

Ais gave an embarassed smile and looked at the sandy floor "Well you seemed really stressed earlier, so we assumed that was just you blowing off steam." she remarked, earning a small scoff from Frieza. "Shut up. Midgyo, is the ship working again?!" he asked, looking to the avian mechanic who was quietly drinking from a canteen of water. He made an 'Okay' sign with his fingers and nodded toward his leader.

Throughout this exchange, Inyon had been examining the corpse pile Ais and Polarri had set up in the hot sands "Lessee here...Edible. Edible. Not edible. Edible. SO not edible unless you want to be crapping pinecones for a week." she remarked as she split the corpses into two different piles "There we are. Some food to last a few days." she remarked as she plucked up the pile she had labelled as 'edible.'

Ais, Polarri and Midgyo were examining the towering Saiyaness with expressions of disgust, shock and worry, while Frieza kept a blank expression. Saiyan savagery was nothing new to him "Damnit...let's...let's just get in the ship and turn the damn medicine machines on. We have alot of space to cover." he remarked as he hobbled up the landing ramp of the ship.

* * *

Frieza had lost track of time after picking up Inyon, their voyage becoming a bit more prolonged with all the food stops they needed to make now. Damn Saiyan metabolism. Still, with her as a sparring partner he had made a fair bit of progress building his strength, and the more time he spent in his Fifth form the closer he was to maintaining it. Far from perfecting the fifth form, but it was a start.

Despite the the sporadic food stops, the several months since the Tsansorm incident had been rather dull and uneventful. But Frieza thought that was a good thing, more time to focus on his training. Hell, he hadn't even had one of his nightmares in this time period! The Arcosian man had hoped that it would be smooth sailing from here on out...sadly fate seemed to have other things in mind.

Frieza had been resting in his bed when Midgyo reached him on the intercom _"Ah, L-Lord Frieza, we have a...We received a transmission that...well you really need to come out and hear it." _Midgyo explained over the intercom, earning an annoyed grunt from a sleepy Frieza. He supposed it was odd enough for them to be receiving transmissions, this sector was a fairly isolated part of the north galaxy, and the Shatterstar was a stealth craft that was supposed to slip under the radars of any other starships. Worth investigating. He quickly left the living quarters and headed to the bridge where he found Midgyo and Ais examining one of the console banks. Frieza mused Inyon and Polarri were probably doing other things right now.

"So? What's this transmission that I needed to be disturbed to hear?" Frieza asked, impatiently tapping his long ivory tail along the ground. Midgyo pressed one button on the console and replayed the message. For several seconds there was crackling radio silence, until finally a familiar voice came through the static, filling Frieza with shock and dread.

_"Frieza...I've found you at last...Little brother..."_

* * *

A/N: Next time, the Meta-Cooler saga begins! Frieza must confront more of his past atrocities, and deal with the macabre abomination he once thought of as his brother.


	13. Crying?

Frieza's eyes were wide with shock and disbelief as he heard a voice belonging to a person he once thought dead. His own brother, Cooler, who had been killed by Goku on Earth who was now speaking to him through a distant radio transmission.

_"Frieza...I've found you at last...Little brother. I had been scanning through the few ships belonging to the Cold Family that still exist, and at last I found you on the quite a distance, haven't you?" _the recorded transmission explained, it's voice gradually becoming more clear. _"I bet you have many questions, but they'll have to wait for the time being. Brother, I've uploaded some coordinates to the Shatterstar's nav-computer and at the trajectory our ships our travelling at, we should meet there in the span of a fortnight.A chance to express the future of our galaxy and the possibility of rebuilding our empire."_ Cooler's voice explained.

_"Until then little Frieza, rest well and I'll see you soon."_ Cooler explained. As the recording faded back to static, the Arcosian who had once been a Lord looked very unimpressed with what he had heard.

"I don't know who that was, but it definitely wasn't Cooler." Frieza growled, crossing his arms. Despite the certainty in his tone, he supposed there were some slim possibilities that Cooler had survived his battle with the Super Saiyans...He hadn't seen him being killed by that Kamehameha wave, and if he managed to escape the blast he could possibly have left Earth by travelling through the void of space...But following that, how would he have travelled any sort of distance? No spaceports near Earth...

Midgyo cleared his throat "Be that as it may, Lord Frieza, I don't believe we should investigate this transmission. Likely it's a trap of some sort by remnants of the resistance." the Litt theorised, the possibility filling Frieza with unease. He had seen, after his encounter with Inyon, that these areas of the galaxy he had never been to could potentially house beings as powerful as himself...Still...He had to know just who was sending him this message, as likely this stranger wouldn't stop with just one message.

"No Midgyo,we are going to get to the bottom of this. I might not have been my brothers biggest fan, but he is partially responsible for the power I possess now and his veins carried the same royal blood as mine, so I owe it to the remaining honour of my family to kill this damned imposter." Frieza explained. It would postpone their journey to Earth by a few days, but it would have to be done if he was to find the one who dared antagonise him. Midgyo gave a low sigh, but made no actual objection to the order. With a curt bow, he walked off to the navcomputer and checked the navcomputer.

If only Frieza knew the truth of what became of his brother, he may have actually shed a tear...

* * *

Meanwhile, across the galaxy.

There was a storm of grunting and yelling over a once peaceful forest as the training session between Gohan, Goku and Piccolo increased in ferocity, storms of punches and ki blasts being launched between the various Z-warriors. It had been some time since they were visited by the mysterious lavender-haired youth, who only Goku and Piccolo knew to be Trunks the future son of Bulma and Vegeta, where he warned them of a destructive Android threat that would arrive in 3 years time.

They had no idea how grave their threat would be compared to what Trunks faced.

Piccolo and Goku threw simultaneous punches at each other, missing each other by scant inches, the speed of their attacks forming small bloody cuts in their cheeks. Neither warrior seemed to mind of course, both grinning wickedly. Then they started brawling across the powder blue skyline, their fists moving so fast that they were invisible. They had two more years to prepare, and while they were getting stronger there was the constant worry it wouldn't be enough.

Goku, using his instant transmission, had checked up on the others from time to time to see their training progress. Krillin and Yamcha had been routinely sparring, Vegeta was alone with the Capsule Corp ship and pushing himself to his limit with the gravity chamber, Tien and Chiaotzu had been training in weighted gear in Bunbuku island near the home Tien had made with Launch after his resurrection. Their progress was decent, but they weren't even as powerful as Frieza had been at his peak, and Goku worried about how much more powerful the two Androids would be by comparison...

In addition, there was the heart virus Goku had to worry about. Trunks had warned the kindhearted Saiyan that in his doomed timeline, Goku had died from a heart virus which had no cure at the time. And while Trunks had brought a cure back to him from the future, Goku would undergo a brief period of illness and be stuck bedridden while the cure fixed his body...Could the others survive against the Androids without a Super Saiyan?

As Piccolo and Goku continued their sparring session, Gohan quickly grew restless of just watching and dashed in, throwing rapid punches at Goku who was laughing nervously as he dodged "Sheesh Gohan, you're way too slow." Goku teased, quickly catching his sons fist and giving him a quick knee to the stomach before throwing him through the air. Worried as Goku was deep down, he was still going to do whatever he could to get strong enough for his battle with the Androids.

* * *

_He found himself on Namek, but once more it was different to what he recalled. He was staring at himself again, in his first form and sitting in his bubble chair, with Zarbon and Dodoria at his sides. Looking at his own evil grin was a surprisingly chilling experience...All around him were burnt out husks of Namekian buildings and several dead Namekians including one child. he tried to make a move, but suddenly Dodoria was behind him. He heard and almost felt his neck snapping, and all went black._

_When light filtered back in, he was still on Namek and staring at his first form once more. then he realised who he was, that lone Namekian warrior who'd made a stand against him...Knowing he would die, yet still fighting to his last breath. Frieza couldn't stop himself from moving despite his knowledge, and he flew straight at himself with one arm poised to strike. His hand struck the other Frieza's neck yet did no damage. His doppleganger gripped his arm and then tore it off. White hot pain seared through Frieza's body, and his vision faded away._

_His eyes were restored, but he felt a tight constraint around his neck, as his lower back was being savagely punched over and over again. Sprays of blood and spittle escaped his lips, and it was at that moment he realised that he was Vegeta, being strangled and beaten by his doppleganger in his final form. He could feel tears sting at his eyes as his vision faded away once again._

_When he opened his eyes once more, his doppleganger was glaring at him with hatred and venom in his eyes, his body bruised rather badly. His index finger raised up, and a red dot flew from his fingertip and into his abdomen...and then Frieza realised he was in the body of the bald midget from Earth. He was flung into the air, and gave a loud shriek of terror before his copy clenched his fist and blew Frieza to bits._

* * *

Frieza gave a sharp gasp and sat up in bed, a cold sweat breaking out along his pale toned flesh. He touched his face and realised that he had some tears running down and mingling with his sweat...He had been crying? "Just a stupid nightmare...why the hell am I shedding tears?!" the Arcosian snarled, punching his bedroom wall and leaving a fist-shaped dent in the gunmetal grey wall of his chamber. That was what he told himself, but all he could think of was the venom he saw in his own eyes, and the agony he had inflicted on others.

_'I took joy in inflicting pain once...And then every horror I gave to the Saiyans and the Namekians was returned to me...'_ Frieza thought to himself, just as he pulled his bedsheets up to wipe the sweat and tears off his face. He recalled the lesson that is mother had told him all those years ago, the fact that anyone who ruled through fear would one day face rebellion...and that's exactly what happened, his own cruelty led to his downfall, the death of the majority of his race save for a few Arcosian colonies, and the destruction of the Cold Family empire. _'I've been a fool...Where did it all go so wrong...?'_ he asked himself, and while he wanted to blame Goku above all else, he knew full well that wasn't the case. No, the blame in that regard, laid with his father...

A loud beeping suddenly rang through the corridors of the Shatterstar and broke off Frieza's train of thought, signalling that they were approaching their destination. Several days of travelling, but Midgyo still found no records on any planet in the coordinates 'Cooler' had given them. "Hey Frieza!" Inyon called out from the corridor outside "Come check it out, this planet looks totally awesome!" she added. The Arcosian scoffed and rolled his eyes, figuring it was more nonsense from the insane Saiyaness.

Still, Frieza needed to check it out. So the snow-skinned warrior climbed out of bed and walked through the corridors, heading to the viewport Inyon was viewing through. The Saiyaness had changed out of the tattered armour she wore on Tsansorm, and was currently clad in a black metal breastplate with a golden trim, nothing covering her arms or hands, along with baggy ivory pants, a red sash belt and sturdy black boots. She crossed her toned arms over her chest as she continued to examine their destination, so Frieza walked closer to get a better look at the planet.

It was indeed a shocking sight to behold for two reasons: Firstly, this planet looked almost exactly like Namek. Secondly, there was a positively gigantic 3-eyed silver lamprey-like creature latched onto one side of the planet, covering it in metal tentacles. It was large enough to be a planet in it's own right. It was such an alien and shocking sight, that Frieza had no idea what to make of it at all, no matter how long he stared. "Pretty cool eh?" Inyon remarked.

Frieza gave an annoyed growl and sent a telepathic message to Midgyo _'Set us down somewhere that's not covered in tentacles.'_ he remarked as he headed to the landing ramp, with Inyon in tow.

* * *

As Frieza and Inyon flew over the surface of this strange planet, Frieza noted that it was worryingly, exactly like Namek. Lush blue grass, deep green seas, islands everywhere...First his brother starts talking to him from beyond the grave, and now Frieza was faced with the ghost of an entire planet to haunt him.

"So...What are we looking for?" Inyon asked simply as they flew over the oceans of this ghost-Namek. "Are we just gonna search around for your brother or are we heading to that giant space-squid thing?" she asked. Frieza merely grunted in response, keeping his gaze focused on the horizon."Okay then. If you say so..." Inyon replied, rolling her eyes. It didn't take all that long for Frieza's optics to beep, picking up a large cluster of power levels nearby. He gestured for Inyon to follow after him as he descended onto a large overlook above what looked to be a village.

That was when Frieza saw them.

Namekians, real Namekians...The very same ones he had killed off 2 years ago! They had been rounded up and slapped in restraints and were being led in a cue by a series of bulky cyclopic robots, who of course Frieza couldn't detect any ki from. "We need to save the Namekians." Frieza said, looking to Inyon. "Eh? Why?" Inyon asked, quirking a brow. "Because..." Frieza replied, standing and cracking his knuckles "They have Dragon Balls." Inyon winced at that "Ew. Why they heck do you want those?" "They're not- Oh forget it..."

He dissapeared in a flash and reappeared straight infront of one cyclopic robot, and kicked it's head straight off it's shoulders in a single strike. Just as the others detected him, Inyon had already blown two other robots to bits with a pair of highly concentrated ki blasts, sending dust and metal shards into the air. "N-no..." one portly Namekian said, trembling at the sight of Frieza "N-not him...F-Frieza..." he added, continuing to shake like a leaf.

As Frieza punched a hole clean through the abdomen of one cyclopian robot he heard another, familiar voice that struck a cord of fear through the Arcosian's whole body "Yes...Frieza..."

Frieza turned his head slowly, and his eyes widened in shock as his gaze settled on a fa csimile of his brother, his skin metallic and a light green shade, his whole body shining brilliantly in the sunlight as he let one foot rest atop a large rock.

"C-Cooler?" Frieza asked, in disbelief at the sight. Cooler kept a cocky smirk on his face "Yes little brother, it's me. Now then, if you would be so kind as to take your fist out of my robot minion, let us chat."

* * *

A/N: Well, Frieza's encounter with Meta-Cooler has begun. How will he handle the remains of his brother? And can even a Super Saiyan and a Super Arcosian hand up to the regenerative and adaptive abilities of Meta-Cooler?

Crappy chapter, I know, but I do have college work, and I just wanted to get something out for those of you who follow the fic.


	14. Horrified

Frieza's facial expression was one of shock and confusion as he laid eyes on the green skinned metallic facsimile of his brother, while this...'Metal Cooler' kept a smug smirk on his face, his arms crossed over his chest "Who...What are you?" Frieza asked, a tense silence filling the air. Even Inyon had fallen quiet...Well mostly, she was kind of lazily chewing on the dismembered head of one cyclopian robot.

"Your brother. Can't you tell? Honestly Frieza, hanging around in the company of monkey's must have dulled your wits." he mocked, a distinct mechanical echo in his voice. Inyon seemed not to hear the insult, or just didn't care. She hardly cared when Frieza called her a monkey.

"That's...Impossible." Frieza grunted out, standing up tall. He was surrounded by past ghosts, but he would show no fear. "I saw my brother die on Earth, getting blasted into space by the Super Saiyan." he stated matter-of-factly. He had to wonder just what connection this metal doppleganger had to the strange tentacled parasite latched onto Namek...and for that matter, just how did this clone of Namek come to exist?

"I take it the video probe didn't transmit all the vital information of the battle." Cooler said, giving a soft sigh as he walked across the blue grass field between them. "That energy wave struck my Supernova, and pushed me clear into outer space. I would have hit the sun, were it not for a massive explosion being caused by the two ki blasts mingling. A massive chunk of my body was destroyed, and I was left adrift in space. Much like you had been on the original Planet Namek." he explained. For the briefest of moments, a flicker of sadness graced the android's face as he said "As you can imagine, father was not there to rescue me...But the Big Gete Star was. It merged with me, gave me this new body..." he gestured to the looming silver giant on the horizon.

"The...Big Gete Star?" Frieza repeated, looking to where Cooler was pointing. "Well that's a fucking dumb name..." Inyon snorted. Cooler ignored her, in much the same way she had him.

"That's not...Well that's not important. What are you doing with the Namekians?" Frieza asked, his curiousity rising once more. Cooler looked to the fearful, chained up villagers, and kept that same smug smirk on his face.

"They're going to be fuel for the Big Gete Star." Meta-Cooler replied calmly, making even Frieza step back in shock. Using living beings as fuel, Frieza could only imagine what kind of horrors would happen to turn them into said fuel. And it made him want to wretch. He was a murderer, yes he and his brother both were, but...Frieza scoffed, how soft was he going? It wasn't...it wasn't concern for the Namekians that was worrying. Surely not. No no,he just needed them alive so that he could get their Dragon Balls from them.

"That's not going to happen." Frieza said, his face hardening and his stance becoming stronger. Cooler raised a brow and seemed slightly taken aback by his younger siblings response "What?" he asked. Frieza shook his head "You heard me, we need them alive. With their Dragon Balls we can bring back Arcos, we can restore our race, we can...we can bring father back to life." he pleaded.

Emotions twitched across Meta-Cooler's face for a moment,before he scoffed and shook his head "No. Fuel is the main objective." he replied dryly. It was then that Frieza realised that, while this 'Big Gete Star' had merged with Cooler, saved his life, merged with him, and gave him this mechanical avatar to use...there was still the cold, hard logic of a machine partially dictating Cooler's actions, placing the need to survive above all else. His brother wasn't sentient anymore, while he sounded like Cooler he acted nothing like him. The real Cooler would give anything to save his race and father...Being trapped like that, Frieza was honestly horrified.

"I had hoped you would join me Frieza." Cooler remarked, crossing his metal arms above his shimmering chest "merge with the Big Gete Star as I have...Just imagination. Our whole lives we have been pitted against each other, but as one entity...what could possibly stand against us? We would be limitless with our natural wrath and the capabilities of the Big Gete Star." Frieza looked disgusted at the prospect, be the slave of some AI who would only give him the illusion of self-control? Unlikely.

"Never." Frieza said gruffly, entering a fighting stance. Cooler knew well enough how stubborn his brother was, and there would be no compromise or convincing him...Thus, he entered a fighting stance too.

Frieza's purple ki aura flared up, and he quickly powered up to roughly 80% of his fourth forms full power, causing small swell in his muscle mass. He dashed forth and planted a knee in Meta Cooler's abdomen, causing him to give a strangled gasp of pain as his stomach was bent and twisted out of shape. Frieza spun quickly and buried his heel in Cooler's cheek, launching him far across the deep green sea. "Inyon, stay out of this!" Frieza ordered as he flew forth, pursuing his brother.

Cooler had stopped his flight, landing atop a small sea-stack, and glaring toward his incoming brother. Frieza thought it odd that Cooler's chasis showed no damage, but he paid it no heed and kept flying. Suddenly, one of Cooler's eyes flashed white, and the air around Frieza ignited in a powerful explosion which formed small scratches on Frieza's snowy flesh.

When the smoke cleared, Frieza noticed Cooler had vanished from the sea-stack, and as he had no ki signature there was nothing for Frieza to follow. Until he heard a yell from behind him, and he spun rapidly to block a powerful jab from Cooler. Frieza's free hand shot forth, and he knocked Cooler back a few feet with a powerful punch to the chest. He winced and glanced to his knuckle, noting some scratches on the flesh, and then noticed he had inflicted no damage on Cooler's chest plate this time.

A smirk graced Frieza's lips then "You're stronger than you were when last we met, and you have some new tricks...yet you're still nothing to me..." he remarked. Cooler gave a small laugh "Oh Frieza, if only you knew. This new body is perfect compared to the old one."

He lunged at Frieza, throwing a punch which was quickly avoided, and Frieza responded with a volley of high-powered, rapid-fire kicks which formed deep deep dents in Cooler's stomach, and then kicking him hard in the shoulder and crunching his shoulderpad to bits, smashing him down into one small land formation jutting out of the green ocean. Frieza landed on that small land formation, and his eyes widened when he saw not only Cooler rising up from the dirt, but that the damage inflicted on his was quickly being undone. His chasis seemed denser and more jagged now.

"You seem surprised Frieza. I told you this new body was perfect, the Big Gete Star's computers instantly analyse any damage done to this body, and promptly upgrade my form to counter the damage. Effectively, I grow stronger every time you hurt me." Cooler explained, clenching his metallic fists a few times. Frieza gave a snarl and dashed forward, launching flurries of punches at Cooler who, at this point had grown powerful enough to either dodge or block Frieza's blows. His eyes flashed and beeped for a moment, and he sidestepped one punch from Frieza and promptly elbowed his brother in the forehead and smashed him clean through the island. "It also analyses the fighting styles of my foes, detecting flaws and gaps in your defence...Like I did just there." Cooler said, smirking at Frieza as he emerged from the green ocean, dripping with the vile looking water.

Frieza gave an enraged growl and powered up once more, now at 90% of his fourth forms power, and he quickly flew forth and struck Cooler in the jaw so fast he couldn't see if coming. With a firm roundhouse, he launched Meta Cooler into the sky and then pointed his index and middle finger skyward. A small crackling orb of gold and red ki formed on Frieza's fingertips then "You should feel honoured brother, you're the first person to sample my new **Nova Death Beam!"** Frieza spat, firing the thick ki beam at Cooler as he continued his ascent.

The whole sky glowed red from the ki discharge, and the beam struck Cooler straight in the thorax. The android to give shrill yells of pain as he was struck with both a piercing force and a melting one, and once the Nova Death Beam had dissipated it left a large molten hole in Cooler's chest. He coughed and gagged, the sky above returned to it's normal hue, and Frieza smirked at the damage he had inflicted.

His smirk promptly disappeared when he heard Cooler give a ragged laugh "You don't...haha...you don't listen at all, d-do you?" he choked out. His whole body started to glow white "My body is perfect, all you've managed to do is make me stronger! Hehe, oh yeah, now this is power!" Cooler yelled. Cooler glowed so white hot that Frieza had to shield his eyes, and once that glow disappeared and his gaze settled on Cooler, a sense of fear overtook him.

In the sky above him, the Meta Cooler he had been fighting took on the form of a facsimile of Cooler's fifth form. "Okay...I believe our little warm-up is over, little brother..."

Suddenly, he had teleported behind Frieza and smashed a metallic fist into Frieza's kidney, making him squawk with agony and spraying blood out of his mouth. Cooler kicked Frieza into the air and started teleporting around, smashing Frieza through the air like the worlds most brutal game of pinball. He smashed Frieza in the ribs with a powerful elbow strike and sent the younger Arcosian soaring through the green sky and causing him to smash into a large island, forming a deep crater on impact.

As Frieza struggled onto his hands on knees, blood dripping out of his mouth and running off his forehead, he saw the area around him start to glow golden. He spun his head quickly and gave a small gasp of shock when he saw a Death Ball floating over one of Cooler's fingers. "I always could gather energy faster than you could, Frieza!" Cooler mocked, before flicking his finger forth and sending the energy sphere hurtling toward Frieza.

All he could do to defend himself was push his palms forth and form a light blue ki barrier around his body, but before the Death Ball could make contact with anything it was struck in the side by a slightly smaller light blue ki orb, which carried the Death Ball into the sky above and created a vibrant explosion that illuminated the heavens. Glancing quickly to the source of the blast, he saw Inyon in her Super Saiyan form hovering a few inches over the oceans with one arm outstretched.

"Sup. Seemed like you were having a little trouble there." Inyon remarked, her eyes glancing back and forth between Frieza and Cooler.

Frieza gave an annoyed grunt and stood up fully, dusting himself off "What did I tell you about learning to follow orders?" he grunted out. While he hated to admit it, he was grateful for the assist. "But perhaps you can be of use. I need a few moments to catch my breath and then I can transform. Stall him." he added. Inyon gave a quick nod, mischeif flashing in her turquoise eyes "You got it boss man!" she said cheerily as she flew forth, a trail of gold light behind her.

"A Super Saiyan..." Cooler murmured in disbelief, before giving a sharp grunt of pain and surprise as Inyon appeared before him and buried her fist into his faceplate with such force that it left a fist-shaped dent in his metal skull.

* * *

Shortly after landing the Shatterstar on the surface of Namek, Midgyo had launched out a video probe to examine the battle between Frieza and this stranger who claimed to be is brother.

"Such amazing technology..." Midgyo mused, analysing a few frames of Meta Cooler's adaptive capabilities "Nanotechnology, no doubt about it. Whatever supercomputer is aboard this Big Gete Star monster can likely calibrate them to meet any necessary function. The possibilities if we were able to recover samples of it, we could upgrade the Shatterstar to become so much more efficient." he mused.

"No doubt." Ais remarked, while Polarri seemed lost in thought. "Gosh, Lord frieza fighting lord Cooler...with all the stuff Frieza's been going through, having to kill his own brother will come as a real harsh blow..." In response to that, Ais shrugged "Maybe, maybe not. They haven't exactly been best friends, not since they were younger at least."

"True..." Polarri replied, giving a sad sigh at the memories. Fond memories of Arcos seemed so far away now...The young Arcosian maiden looked to the video screen, quietly watching the duel between Inyon and Cooler. Inyon seemed to have the upper hand, dodging and blocking Meta Cooler's strikes and launching a few clean punches and kicks "Whew...She's doing pretty good right now..." she said, having grown a slight amount of respect for the ebony Saiyan in the time they had spent on the Shatterstar.

"For now." Midgyo said solemnly, rubbing his beak in thought "Cooler gets stronger every time he takes damage, and even if Inyon focuses soley on dodging and blocking his strikes, that supercomputer will just analyse her movements so Cooler can exploit an opening in her fighting style." he explained. The Litt winced when he saw the female Super Saiyan getting struck with a haymaker from Cooler, which launched her several feet from the mechanical menace "Yeah. All down hill from here...Frieza needs to act quickly before Cooler grows too strong." said Midgo, folding his arms over his chest.

In an instant, Inyon was being forced into a full defensive. Cooler had knocked her through the air and then instantly appeared behind her, and she was stuck blocking and flying back to avoid his powerful fists. While she wasn't using the full extent of her Super Saiyan power, she knew that if she powered up she ran the risk of letting this Cooler chump getting too powerful.

Cooler moved his hand back suddenly, and a large gold orb of ki formed in his palm. He shot his arm forth and send a golden ki beam at Inyon, who swerved to one side and raised her arms to block. While she missed the brunt of the blast, the beam flying past her and obliterating a distant island, she did get some burns on her forearms for her trouble, grunting and growling in pain "Well well, I can assimilate my little brother into the Big Gete Star, and I can use a Super Saiyan to help fuel it...lucky day!" Cooler mocked.

Inyon gave a growl, and was about to lunge forth at the metal monster until they both sensed a large ki signature down below. They glanced to the blue islands below, seeing the dust clearing around a fully healed and fully powered Frieza in his fifth form. "Okay brother...Come face me, face your true end." Frieza growled, clenching his fist.

"Frieza...can use the fifth form...?" Cooler murmured in disbelief.

* * *

A/N: Next time, Meta Cooler meets his end. But will the Big Gete Star stop it's rampage there? 'Course not. He's got like, 1 or 2 more chapters to go through.

I toyed around with Meta Cooler's origin a bit for this fic, in that his body was destroyed by a Super Kamehameha + Supernova explosion, rather than crashing into the sun. There's just no way any remnant of Cooler, no matter how small, would have been able to escape the sun. It just always seemed out of place to me.

Secondly I decided to give Meta Cooler his 5th transformation. It always bugged me that Cooler's whole gimmick was the extra transformation, but it was completely dropped for the Meta Cooler movie.

See ya next time people.


	15. Somber

There was something so bizarre about this whole situation when Frieza stopped to think about it. Here he was, in his fifth form, on some sort of cloned version of Planet Namek, staring up at an android clone of his brother Cooler who was also in his fifth form. Never in a million years would Frieza have predicted such a situation...

Cooler seemed to find things equally bizarre, but this was mainly because he never in his wildest dreams expected his little brother to unlock the Super Arcosian transformation. "How did you...Frieza, how in father's glorious name did you manage to unlock that power?" he asked. Beneath his bone mask, a confident smirk graced Frieza's face, savouring the shock in his older siblings voice.

"Well brother, truth be told I have you partly to thank for the ability. You see, when you transformed on the video feed you mentioned the ancient Arcosians, and it was then that a memory of our beloved mother came to me in my sleep where she spoke of the ancient Arcosians. I found Mount Froid and the Snow Kings burial chamber, where I learnt how emotional trauma." Frieza explained, letting one hand rest on his hip "Just out of curiosity Cooler, how exactly did you unlock the fifth form?" he asked.

"I suppose it was slow building for me. Years and years or resentment toward you, and father's favouritism of you...I wanted to find out a way to become stronger, to surpass you and take my position as rightful heir. I found Fuyu's burial chamber too and learnt of his ascension. I summoned up all the rage and bitterness I had built up over my life, and used it to transform." As Cooler explained this, Inyon descended fro the green skies and landed on an island behind the land formation Frieza was standing on. "Of course, the limitation on the form meant I couldn't go straight for you. So I resigned myself to master the power...up until my death on earth." Cooler added with a sad sigh.

"I figured as much." Frieza replied truthfully. He clenched his free hand and gave a sad sigh "My transformation was a bit more spur of the moment. I suppose the loss of the Empire and the destruction of Arcos caused me to snap." he explained, narrowing his glowing crimson eyes at the memories.

"The two of us merged with the Big Gete Star, we could rebuild the Cold family empire in a matter of weeks." Meta Cooler remarked, folding his arms over his chest. "With the Dragon Balls, we could do it in the span of a few minutes." Frieza retorted. "No." Cooler said sternly, that machine logic of self-preservation taking over.

The two Super Arcosians narrowed their eyes at each other, both uncompromising in what they wanted. Then they flew at each other and threw two punches of equal force, their fists colliding in the sky with such force that the ensuing shockwave shook the oceans beneath them. With one swift hand movement, Frieza smashed Cooler several metres into the sky with his telekinesis.

The mechanical monster managed to correct himself from flying too far away and launched himself at Frieza again. With his instant transmission he appeared right behind Frieza and slammed an elbow between Frieza's shoulderblades. Frieza's tail swung like a whip and smashed Meta Cooler in the brow, and while his brother recovered from the dazing strike, Frieza gripped Cooler's tail with both hands with such force that he was crunching the bizarre metal between his fingertips.

Frieza spun Cooler around by the tail rapidly, moving so fast that he was forming a small cyclone in the sky. With one final powerful sin he released his brother and sent him into the sky.

However, while Cooler tumbled through the sky from the spinning, he quickly corrected himself mid-flight and gave a grunt of annoyance. The android gave an annoyed snarl, and then extended one index finger out, foring a blue orb of energy on that fingertip.

He started firing small ki bullets at Frieza, who left multiple after images behind him with every bullet he dodged. Growing irritated by his barrage missing every time, Cooler raised his second hand up and started firing an even grander barrage at Frieza.

Not able to dodge the Finger Blitz Barrage at close range, Frieza started flying and leaving a crimson trail across the sky. He swerved and avoided the powerful ki bullets, constantly swerving and weaving and changing course so that the Big Gete Star's supercomputer couldn't pick up on a movement pattern and instruct Cooler on how to exploit it.

The younger Arcosian could hear the explosions from the rapid fire ki blasts in the distance, and he figured he'd have to end this quickly until lest Cooler accidentaly destroy one Namekian village and somehow render the Dragon Balls inert. They were real confusing and Frieza still didn't understand how the damned things worked. Frieza quickly pulled one arm back and formed a purple and white ki ball in his hand, before shoving his arm out and launching the energy blast at the mechanical abomination that wore his brothers face.

Cooler broke off his attack when he saw the energy in Frieza's hand, and he quickly swerved to one side to avoid the energy blast. He watched as the long purple beam flew past, travelling up and up until it vanished into the heavens.

"Feh...Really Frieza, still trying to kill me with futile att-AGHK!" Cooler's mocking devolved into a shrill gagging yell of agony as Frieza had dashed toward him and punched him so hard that his fist went clean through where Cooler's heart would be if his internal organs still existed. He kept his fist in place lest Cooler regenerate, then his other hand shot up to punch at Cooler's skull and leaving a deep dent in his metallic skull. Then his tail shot out like a coiled up python and stabbed clean through Meta Cooler's diaphragm. He was channelling a great deal of ki behind each blow to damage the chasis, not willing to hold much back...not with the risk of Cooler growing stronger than him.

Quick as a flash, Frieza had pulled hi arms and tail back and went to smash the injured Cooler down. He could already see the regeneration starting, he needed to act quickly!

Frieza raised both hands up, forming a Death Saucer on each hand, and flinging both after the descending Cooler. The first purple ki disc embedded itself between Cooler's shoulderblades, sawing through the alien metal that made up his body. The second went diagonally through Cooler's ribs and hip, splitting Meta Cooler into large separate chunks.

"I'm sorry Cooler." Frieza said sombrely as he clenched his ivory fists. The two Death Saucers glowed white hot and then both exploded violently, engulfing the majority of Meta Cooler's remains. Not wasting a single second, Frieza fired a wide red ki beam where the smoke of Cooler's remains had formed, completely obliterating the few fragments that remained of Meta Cooler.

The young Arcosian stayed afloat in the air, staring at where his brother...the monster that had been his brother, had been destroyed. He was deep in thought, and for a brief moment those glowing scarlet eyes of his flashed with sympathy. He hadn't always hated his brother, and he liked to think Cooler didn't always hate him...It had only been in there adult years, with their father pitting them against each other for his favour. The more Frieza thought about his father now, the more he wondered if bringing him back with the Dragon Balls would be a good idea...

The thought of the Dragon Balls snapped Frieza straight out of his stupor, and he slowly descended onto a small seastack and turned his gaze to the village Cooler's robots had previously been attacking. "I'll get my wish this time..." Frieza growled to himself.

* * *

"Well, that puts an end to that..." Ais said cockily, placing her hands on her womanly hips. "Gotta say, as nuts as all that adaption stuff was, Frieza won pretty easy once he transformed." the lilac-coloured Arcosian added, swishing her tail slowly.

"I'm not so sure it's over yet you guys..." Midgyo replied, one finger lazily tapping the metal of the ships consoles. "I mean, the Big Gete Star is still in tact, and it doesn't seem like it's going anywhere anytime soon...Who knows what else that giant metal lamprey has up it's...um...tentacles." the Litt scientist explained, using the video probes control console to zoom in on the hulking mass of the machine.

At this, Polarri scoffed quietly "What else can it do, mass produce more of those weakling cyclopic robots? Inyon and Lord Frieza didn't even need to transform to kick their asses." the Arcosian maiden remarked. A playful smirk crossed her face, and her long tail slowly curled around Midgyo's shoulders "Just relax, my lil' chicken."

Despite the distinct crimson shade that was sneaking it's way up the avian scientists skin, Midgyo was doing his best to keep looking serious. His hands roamed over the buttons on the control panel, quickly zooming in on the Big Gete Star "I dunno you guys, it's just too quiet. I'm just gonna move the probe around and get a better lo-..." Midgyo stopped speaking, and his heart seemed to freeze up from what he saw coming out of the Big Gete Star and heading toward Frieza.

Ais and Polarri seemed to share the Litt scientists shock. "N-no...No way..." Ais said, her whole body trembling. Polarri's jaw hung low, but she finally said "W-we gotta get out of here you guys!"

Midgyo finally found the courage to speak, tightly gripping the sides of the control panel before him "I...Sometimes I really hate it when I'm right."

* * *

"So ah...How are you feeling after killing your brother?" Inyon asked once she joined Frieza at his side. She was still in her Super Saiyan form, and the golden light shimmered against her toned ebony flesh. Frieza merely grunted in response. In truth, Frieza had no idea how he felt right now. Somber, he supposed. Inyon gave a shrug "Well...ya kinda' had to do it, I guess. I mean he probably woulda' killed both of us if it went on much longer."

Frieza shook his head and kept his slow flight to the Namekian village at the same pace "I'm aware of the risk. However I don't think he wanted to kill me, he wanted to merge with me. And he was NOT my brother, don't make that mistake again." Frieza said. These ghosts of his past surrounding and dogging him everywhere he went, the Arcosian prince was growing oh so weary of them and wished for nothing more than to see the back of them.

"Okay dude, calm down. Seriously." Inyon replied, raising her hands up defensively. "So like...is going for the Dragon Balls the wisest move right now? I mean what about the Big Gete Star? Doesn't look like it's going anywhere..." Inyon remarked, placing her hands on her hips as she floated alongside Frieza

"We'll handle it. But first I want those damn Dragon Balls and then we'll get off of this damned planet." Frieza replied. For a moment the whistling wind seemed to grow much sharper before suddenly stopping.

"Leaving so soon brother? After we've just been reunited? I'm hurt." A familiar voice called from the distance, making Frieza freeze up. The prince looked to a large cliff and his crimson eyes widened in shock at the horrifying sight which stood before him and Inyon.

There wasn't just one Meta-Cooler up there, there were hundreds...

"That's...no that's impossible..." Frieza murmured, feeling smaller now than he had in his entire life. Inyon glared to the cliff above them, and she quickly entered a fighting stance. "Wha- You're actually thinking of fighting against these impossible numbers?!" Frieza said to his sole soldier in a rushed whisper.

"I'm a Saiyan, my lord. The fight is what I live for, and what I die for." the dark-skinned Saiyaness explained, before giving a yell and powering up to her very limit, her fold aura lighting up the sky. As she stopped powering up, she glanced to Frieza "And besides...What other option do we have now? Run? Hah, that'd be even worse. Not like we'd even get very far..." she remarked. "No...I'm gonna die with oil on my fists and a robot skull in my jaws, in the service of the guy who saved me from Tsansorm..."

A small smile crossed Frieza's face beneath his bone mask, and he quickly flared his crimson aura up "That's rather admirable for a mo-...Saiyan. Let it be known that if we die here, you died with my respect and admiration of your loyalty." Frieza remarked, earning a cocky smirk from Inyon.

"Sweet of you to say, but can we skip the mushy stuff?" the ebony Saiyaness asked, grinning at Frieza. She turned her gaze to the Meta Cooler army and gave a manic grin "Someone check the clock, because I do believe it's go time!" she yelled as she and Frieza dashed toward the awaiting army. They were split from each other very quickly, both ploughing into the horde.

They held nothing back, releasing large wide bursts of ki, delivered punche strong enough to decapitate the Meta Coolers...And yet they just get coming! They seemed infinite in numbers, and while Frieza had killed about 30 by his reckoning, the dent in the numbers did nothing to slow the clone army down.

He suffered punches, kicks, burns from ki blasts...They finally caught both of Frieza's arms and pulled them behind his back. He glared at one Meta Cooler looming over him, his fist glowing with ki...And with one powerful strike, Frieza was punched into the unconscious world.

* * *

A/N: Next time, the final chapter of the Meta Cooler saga. Frieza finds himself face to face with his brothers remains, and must handle the Namekians.

Following the next chapter, we'll have the first of two special chapters giving the backstory of the villain who'll be taking the place of Majin Buu in the post-Cell period.


	16. Penitent

_King Cold's fist slammed into Frieza's jaw so hard that it created a sonic boom which shattered the ice of Blizzah for miles around. He was launched several metres away, smashing through multiple ice spires and landing beside his bruised and bloodied older sibling. Frieza and Cooler, both in the fourth forms, stood up panting for breath and glared at their father who stood towering above them in his second form._

_"Your mother is gone now, nobody else to coddle you. If you're going to be my heirs, you'll need to be strong." King Cold remarked with a menacing growl in his voice. Cooler and Frieza were both wtill young, just in their teenage years, and their powers were far from their peak. they were at their limit, but King Cold only had a few scratches on his muscular body._

_The two brothers lunged at King Cold, launching punches and kicks as fast as they could, only for King Cold to rapidly move his forearms and deflecting every single strike without breaking a sweat._

_His arms shot up, faster than the two Arcosian princes could react to, and he seized both of them but the throats and helt them in a vice-like grip. "Look at all the weakness she instilled in the both of you, filling your heads with nonsense notions." Cold snapped, his grip tightening, forming purple bruises on their throats. "I have to beat the weakness out of you two, undo the damage that witch caused in life."_

_At this, Frieza gave a yell of anger and red ki bursts from his eyes, blasting Cold's cheek and forming black burns along his cheek._

_Cold roared in pain and released his grip on both boys, who both started hammering their fists into the monarchs face with as much force as they could muster. For a brief, stupid moment, Frieza honestly thought they could win. "Frieza, put everything you've got into this!" Cooler called out. The two brothers yelled an pulled their arms back in unison for a final powerful combined punch._

_In a single nanosecond, Cooler sidestepped their fists and struck Cooler with a single punch to the ribs which knocked the older Arcosian unconscious. He grinned at Frieza and punched him in the brow._

* * *

Ironically, it was the blow in his dream that knocked him unconscious, was the pount in his dream in which he awoke in the real world. Or Frieza assumed it was, his current surroundings were so alien compared to the blue fields of Namek. The pain in his body was real enough, and even through his slightly blurred vision Frieza could see he was back in his fourth form.

He was constricted, his arms and legs and tail tightly gripped by what looked to be mechanical tentacles "Ngh...The hell..." Frieza said hoarsely. His eyes glanced around again and he noticed Inyon, still unconscious and in her base form, also tangled up in a metallic web. For whatever reason, Cooler had decided to keep her alive too.

"Ah, brother. So glad you're awake." Cooler's voice echoed through the massive chamber of steel and twisted circuitry. When Frieza glanced to the source of the voice, he was filled with a sense of fear and sorrow he hadn't sensed since the death of his mother.

There was what remained of Cooler's organic body, three quarters of his head, his neck, and only the left quarter of his torso with a pitiful stump of an arm left. From the ground and the ceiling, a web of metal kept Cooler's remained upright, and it was this same metal that filled the gaps in Cooler's skull. _'He's alive but...This is no way to live...'_ Frieza thought to himself, recalling how he had been maimed and briefly replaced with mechanical parts...It seemed like nothing compared to the nightmare that remained of Cooler's body.

"I will assimilate you into the Big Gete Star, and your monkey companion's ki will make for a suitable energy boost to the computers." Cooler explained, his words fully knocking Frieza from his dazed stupor.

"The...Namekians..." Frieza grunted weakly, trying to formulate a question. His consciousness had returned fully, but a great pain still racked his body.

"I will send my army out to retrieve them in time, they will make for excellent reserve fuel." Cooler's remains explained. It was at that moment that Frieza realised the metal that covered the missing portions of his head and face, had created a jagged crude maw for Cooler to speak through.

"N-no...Have to get my wish..." Frieza grunted, clenching his fists and straining against the metal wires constricting him. It was at this moment that he heard Inyon groan, her eyes blinking awake "The fuuuuck..." she groaned sleepily as she looked around.

"I have had enough of your resistance Frieza." Cooler explained, ignoring Frieza and Inyon's words, his remaining organic eye narrowing menacingly. "You will merge with the Big Gete Star, it will be your penance for the failures you've inflicted on our families honour and it will be your chance to rebuild the empire you lost!" Cooler growled.

Suddenly both she and Frieza screamed out in agony, lighting running down the wires keeping them restrained. In Inyon's case, her ki was being painfully drained, and in Frieza's case nanomachines were being forced into his body. With a great urgency he sent a telepathic message to Inyon _'Agh! I-Inyon, listen to me! We need to power up, overload those machines with as much ki as we can spare!'_ he ordered.

He receieved no more response, but once he saw her hair turn gold he knew it was order recieved and a flash of light his body expanded and he transformed into his super Arcosian form, aiding Inyon in overloading the machinery around them. "WHAT'RE YOU DOING?! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" Cooler roared, a large metal body forming beneath the tattered remains of his head, a crude shambling mockery of a human body made up of wires and ciruits and metal chunks. It quickly grew to a gigantic size, several times larger that Frieza himself!

Ignoring his steadily advancing giant, Frieza and Inyon kept yelling and powering up. Their ki flooded the circuitry of the ship, and the walls and floors around them began to explode sporadically in various parts. Finally, the bindings restricting the two fatigued warriors exploded off their bodies, leaving them floating within the metal chamber.

Frieza saw his brother's giant fist flying toward him, and he raised both his hands in a futile attempt to block the strike. The fist struck his palms, and Frieza slowed the movement for a split second before he was launched clean across the chamber. A red glow formed in Cooler's cybernetic eye, and a searing hot beam of red ki fired out toward Frieza. The wounded tyrant flew around and deftly dodged the optic laser, which was forming burns and molten scorches along the metal surfaces it hit off of.

"I'll kill you for this! Nobody will defy me, and I won't let you kill me! I'll crush the life out of you for the damage you've caused!" Cooler yelled, metal spears and tendrils launching from the smoke and trying to ensnare him. Frieza dipped and dodged around the projectiles and shot one hand out, a glowing purple Death Beam shooting from his fingertip and blowing a hole in Cooler's metal abdomen. To Frieza's shock, and annoyance, the wires simply reformed around the hole and closed the wound.

Suddenly, tendrils flew from the darkness and bound his wrists, ankles and his torso. The machinery compressed so tight into Frieza's skin that it was leaving grotesque purple abbrassions on his snowy skin. "Guh-...Sh-shit!" Frieza yelled out as his pain grew.

His gaze settled on a gold spark behind the Meta Cooler Core, it could only be Inyon. She sucked in her breath **"Atomic..." **with a roar she fired out a massive ki bullet from her jaws **"BURST!"** the blast hit Cooler in the base of his spine and completely vaporised his legs, leaving his disembodied upper half to crash loudly into the metal floor.

"Take that...ya bastard..." Inyon grunted through heaving breaths. Having expended all her ki, her hair drooped down and went from gold back to red, and she hit the metal floor with a thud.

Frieza tore free from the wires, feeling his alien blood trickling down some freshly opened scars, and flew at Cooler's remains with a red orb of ki in his hand "I'm sorry brother!" he called out as he shot the ki ball out. At the last moment, before his ki ball struck, he saw all the life leave Cooler's remaining eye...and then he was wiped out, his organic parts utterly reduced to nothing but ash.

Before Frieza could mourn the death of his older sibling, and last blood relative in the galaxy, the Big Gete Star started to rumble and random explosions rang through the corridors. he glanced to Inyon, unconscious and helpless, and figured that if he abandoned here the Super Saiyan would be guaranteed to die. _'But...She didn't abandon me. And I probably couldn't have destroyed all of Cooler's body with what little ki I had left...Damnit all, curse this morality nonsense.'_ he thought to himelf as he flew down and draped the unconscious Super Saiyan over his shoulders.

Frieza flew with the unconscious Inyon as fast as his weakened body could move him, dodging and outrunning explosions all around them. "Where the hell is the exit?! This place is a damn labyrinth!" he snarled, his red eyes darting around everywhere "Damnit all, I've barely got any energy left to waste but...Oh fuck it!" Frieza spat, forming a purple ki shield around his body and flying straight through the walls between them and the outside world.

They finally burst through the walls, emerging in the green Namekian skyline "Come on, come on...Just a little further..." Frieza grunted out, straining his body to the limit and flying himself and Inyon as far away from the slowly ascending Big Gete Star as he could manage. Suddenly an explosion, from where Frieza could not say, broke through Frieza's ki barrier and sent the two hurting across the sky at an even faster pace.

He could see the Shatterstar, so close, a purple diamond glinting in the distance.

Pain racked his body and a strangled gasp of agony escaped Frieza's lips, his body slowly contracting to a smaller size.

"N-no...not...yet..." he croaked weakly, his body giving out on him. His consciousness faded, and he and Inyon hit the blue grass of Namek with a powerful crash.

* * *

_"I really fucking hate father's sparring sessions." Cooler grunted, clenching and unclenching his purple fist. If it weren't for the medicine machines, that hand would still be broken. Young Frieza gave a small nod in response._

_"I'm...I'm a little scared, brother." Frieza admitted, sitting up off the foot of his bed and looking up to his lanky older sibling. Cooler gave a small sneer until he noted the emotion flashing in his sibling's face. "I..I miss mother. And it's like father didn't care about her at all..." Frieza added, staring down at his three-toed feet._

_"Hmph yes, he seemed not to care...Almost as if he were the one who..." Cooler stopped mid-sentence, and looked down at his younger brother. "Ah...never mind, just my imagination." he reached down and gave Frieza a small pat on the head "Look, it's clear you need to clear your head little brother." he said, walking over to the window of Frieza's bedroom and opening it, a small chill entering which neither brother paid attention to._

_"Huh? What're we going to do?" Frieza asked, approaching his brother._

_Cooler gave an irritated snort "Don't ask so many questions, I'm just trying to do something nice. Now shut up and follow me, we're doing some exploration." he said. Despite his gruff tone, Frieza detected a hint of brotherly affection..._

_"O-okay Cooler. Let's go!" Frieza replied, powering up slightly and flying out the palace window, flying side by side with his brother._

_It was one of the last times the two brothers were ever kind with each other._

* * *

Frieza groggily opened his eyes, seeing nothing but green water around him. He tried to speak and then felt the breather on his mouth, and realised he was in a medicine machine. Thank Fuyu, the crew of the Shatterstar had come to aid him!

"Ah, guys, Lord Frieza is awake!" Ais called through the glass, approaching the medicine machine. "Sheesh Lord Frieza...You've been unconscious for like 8 hours...Dunno what you did, but it caused the Big Gete Star to explode in outer space, and caused all the Meta Cooler's to explode." Ais explained, looking in through the glass of the medicine machine. Well despite all the pain, there was some good news.

Through the intercom of the medicine machine, Frieza simply croaked out "Inyon?" Ais gave a small nod, and Midgyo and Polarri soon joined the lilac Arcosian.

"Alive and well Lord Frieza. She's still unconscious though, she was drained utterly dry. She'll make a full recovery though." Midgyo explained, thumbing over a clipboard of readings. Inside the pod, Frieza breathed a sigh of relief.

"Excellent..." he remarked, checking over his current power level. By his reckoning he had only healed enough to access over thirty percent of his ki, but that was still greater than the power of any Namekian he knew. He was rather sore though, and he did notice that the purple lacerations those wires had given him were only partially faded, making it look like he'd been diced up and crudely stitched back together. Bah, he'd be fine. He pressed a button on the side of the medicine machine, draining the healing juices, and then he unlocked the door and stepped out onto the ship floor.

He could note the confusion on his allies faces and gave a casual scoff "I'm going to talk to the Namekian villagers and get the Dragon Balls from them. Restore Arcos and it's people." He explained. As he went to leave the Med-bay, Frieza noted a large pile of Meta Cooler fragments on a desk. No doubt recovered by the others for experimentation by Midgyo..."One of you come with me. I'm going to try using...ugh...diplomacy, and I need someone to try and keep my temper in line." Frieza remarked. Polarri was the one to join him at his side and followed him from the craft.

It didn't take too long at all to reach the Namekian village from earlier, the green aliens standing stone still, rigid in fear at the sight of Frieza. He was, even in his weakened state, millions of times stronger than even the mightiest Namek. "Why...have you come back here, you monster?" the portly Namekian, evidently the leader of this community, asked. Two small children clung to the legs of his white trousers, and Frieza faintly recalled killing both of them.

"I need...Your Dragon Balls." Frieza answered, figuring there would be no surprise to the response. Polarri stood as still as she could, worried by the tension hanging thick in the air...even she was recieving venomous glances from the villagers, despite having nothing to do with what happened to the old planet Namek.

"You will never have them." the Elder said adamantly, despite the small beads of sweat forming on his green egg-shaped head. "We will never aid you in your vile quest for immortality, no matter how much you threaten and harm us! We endured your horrors once, and we would endure them a million times more without giving into your cruel demands!" Moori spat, his rage growing with every passing moment.

"You think I'm not above killing you?" Frieza asked, letting a hand rest on his hip, purple lightning sparking down his pale fingertips.

"You kill me, and the Dragon Balls lose their power." Moori said, deploying his trump card and smirking in satisfaction. The surprise on Frieza's face was very obvious, and the ki stopped forming on his hand.

"Gh...You don't understand, the wish isn't for me, it's for my planet it...it's been destroyed. My race all but wiped out." He pleaded. Polarri gave a sincere nod, affirming the story. "I...Please..." chokes of sorrow escaped Frieza's lips, and his vision began to blur. He was so frustrated, so filled with sorrow and anger...Between killing his last relative, these nightmares the plagued his sleep, and now not being able to help his people...

He collapsed to his hands and knees before the Elder Namek, who was taken aback in shock "Please I...I know I've been wretched my entire life, and I never expect you to forgive me for what I've caused you...But..." he trailed off and clenched his fists in the blue grass "You can't just punish my people and my race for my cruelty, they're innocent in all of this..." he pleaded.

There was a long silence, Polarri looking down at Frieza in shock and concern for her monarch. Moori honestly had no idea how to respond "I...Well I..." Frieza looked up, true sorrow in his eyes. Moori pinched the bridge of his nose "I suppose...That giant squid did drain alot of New Namek's lifeforce though and almost irreparable damage to the soil on the northern hemisphere...We'd need to fix that, and then ninety days later they should be fit for y-"

"What?! Grand Elder, you can't be serious!" one Namekian warrior snapped, stepping forth from the crowds "This is the same monster that savaged are race over two years ago! Why should we aid him?!"

Moori gave a sigh "We are not a vengeful species Esca. And if it is for his race, his intentions are bevevolent...And besides we...we do owe Frieza for saving us from the giant squid creature." Moori replied, as if in disbelief at his own words.

"You'll help our race?! For real? Oh thank you master Namek!" Polarri squealed, pulling Moori in and hugging him tight. "Ah...Thank you young lady, but could you please release me? Your grip is rather powerful..." Moori said, giving a small grunt of discomfort. Polarri gave a nervous laugh and floated back, landing on the blue grass beside Frieza who was slowly getting to his feet.

Disbelief and shock marked the former tyrant's face "I...thank you...sir." he said, feeling truly penitent for the first time in his life.

* * *

_Meanwhile, in the depths of space._

A lone white ball of energy hurtles through the vast expanse of the northern galaxy, landing several solar systems away from the position of New Namek. As the ball of energy loses it's momentum, a clearly defined Arcosian shape formed...A lone Meta Cooler, slightly different than all the other models due to the royal purple sheen of it's armour.

"Ghh..." the machine growled out as the white aura left his metal body. "Curse Frieza, he destroyed the Big Gete Star...Good thing I had this Prototype body in storage, and managed to upload my consciousness into it at the last moment..." Cooler mused aloud. While this new body looked to be a representation of Cooler's fourth form, it was in fact stronger than any of the other Meta Cooler bodies that the big Gete Star had produced. The only problem was, now he lacked the evolutionary powers of the Big Gete Star. "Just need to find somewhere to land..."

As he said this, he cast his gaze to nearby planets, and his eyes settled on one black mass of a planetoid, covered in plumes of crimson smoke. It was...moving straight toward Cooler!

Well, he certainly wouldn't back down, and he did want to investigate this bizarre looking moon. With no Ki signature to detect, the Purple Meta Cooler started flying toward the dark planetoid, and suddenly he saw some sort of hulking...thing heading toward him. It was rather tall and muscular, and the gems lodged in various bodyparts shimmered against the light of Cooler's aura.

Faster than Cooler expected, the creature closed the distance and slammed a monstrous fist into Cooler's jaw, causing the Arcosian Android to give a strangled gasp of agony, his thorax being warped out of shape by the blow. "Trespasser!" the hulking giant snarled, his red skin shimmering like metal. Before Cooler could respond, the creatures pointed skull slammed into his own with a powerful headbutt which could have almost taken Cooler's head off!

The savage machine raised a hand up, forming a green ki sphere which was no doubt intended to be his coup de grace, a voice called out "Halt Hatchiyack!" The ki ball dispersed, and the scarlet monster let his hands rest at his sides.

From behind Hatchiyack, Cooler saw a strange blue humanoid appear. His eyes were mismatched red and white, he had a grey bushy beard and moustache and was wearing an alien white and green labcoat. "Such an interesting machine. He can surely be of use to us once he's been..." the humanoid stroked his grey moustache and gave a grin "...Reprogrammed..."

* * *

A/N: Haha, thus ends the Meta Cooler Saga! Even if he's not actually dead yet, but that's a matter for a later saga...Also, big turning point for Frieza.

So yes, Buu will not be in this fic. Why? I _loathed _the Buu saga, like 75% of it and I honestly don't to write it. So much stupid crap dragged it down in my eyes. I'd go into more detail on exactly why in the next chapter if people wanted to know.

**Next time, the start of our special chapter: Grudge.**


	17. Special: Grudge, Part 1

This is the tragedy of a brilliant Tuffle scientist named Doctor Raichi . The tale of his losses, how he went from being an advocate of peace to a vengeance-driven madman, who's anger drove him beyond the bounds that no mortal mind should ever cross...

* * *

The Tuffle capital city of Pil was a large city, a metropolis of tall white buildings on streets structured in a very orderly fashion. The Tuffle commuters went about their business on the streets and in their hovercars. That was how every city was on the Tuffle hemisphere of planet Plant, a well-structured, well-maintained and orderly city of technological advancement...The polar opposite of the savage, poorly built excuses for villages that the Saiyans had constructed for himself.

It is currently Age 719, little under a year until the beginning of the Saiyan-Tuffle conflict.

Deep within the Capital of Pil sat a large white compound, the lab of the most revered of all Tuffle scientists. Raichi adjusted the green collar at the top of his white labcoat and walked through the pristine corridors of his lap, adjusting the bushy white moustache covering hus wrinkled upper-lip, his half-lidded eyes affectionately admiring some of the works in progress he had been making.

It was while examining the inventions that surrounded him that his young assistant Aman came rushing in late again, his light blue lab coat fluttering behind him "A-ah, s-so sorry I'm late again. The Peace Force have been putting up more checks as of late, what with the talk of Saiyan terrorists..." the young scientist said, running his gloved fingers through his sandy hair.

Raichi gave a small scoff "Saiyan terrorists, honestly Aman you shouldn't listen to such nonsense. The Saiyans are our neighbours...True they can be a little brutish, but they were brought here from an entirely different planet, and while they may be too proud to accept the help of the Tuffles we still need to respect them." the older scientist explained, strolling over to one red machine, large tubes on the ground around it. A gas dispenser, initially intended to release airborne vaccinations...the Tuffle king wanted it for other purposes.

"But sir, they attacked another border town, raided food and supplies from there..." Aman stammered out, walking across the room "And it's not just that, they say that there's some tribe leader that's gathering the other tribes under his rule...King Vegeta, I believe he's called." Aman remarked, crouching beside the gas machine.

"Nonsense." Raichi insisted, pawing around for a plasma cutter "Now be a dear and wake Hatchiyack up,I need to check to see if his AI has undergone any developments." he added. At this, the lab assistant nodded and walked off to another part of the compound. "Now where is that damned plasma cutter?"

There was a small chirping sound beside him and Raichi turned his head to see a 3 foot green plant-like creature, holding the plasma cutter in it's black crab-like feelers. "Ah, thank you Serverman." he said, patting the short creature on it's green bulb shaped skull, earning a happy chirp from the green creature before it padded off across the room.

Raichi spent a few minutes cutting and welding on the gas dispenser, adjusting it's filters and it's wiring, when he heard several voices coming from behind him. Turning, the old man's wrinkled features formed a smile when he saw his son and his two grandchildren, a son and daughter, walking up the corridors. "Hi dad!" the auburn-haired Tuffle called out, his purple glasses shimmering slightly in the artificial lighting. "Grampa!" the two children squealed in unison, rushing over and hugging the ageing scientist, earning laughs from Raichi.

"Haha, oh Myce, Hyphe calm down. I'm not as spry as used to be." Raichi said, giving each of his grandchildren a hug. He glanced to his son then "So Armill, what brings you here?" Raichi asked, standing up fully and fixing his back.

"Well it's..." Armill began, pausing and scratching the back of his neck in an awkward fashion "To be honest it's something I'd rather talk to you without the children in the room." he concluded, which earned quizzical looks from Myce and Hyphe. Raichi gave a small nod of understanding "Well Hatchiyack should be awake so-" he was cut short by light clanking footsteps, and turned to see a child-sized red robot with an innocent smile on it's youthful face.

"Hi doctor!" he greeted, giving a small wave, and then waving to Myce and Hyphe. Ah Hatchiyack, only a prototype at this stage. A supercomputer designed to monitor events all across planet Plant, and being able to produce a physical avatar to protect itself if need be. "I connected to 5 cities when I woke up this morning!" Hatchiyack said, pride in his voice.

Raichi gave him an affectionate pat on the gem in his skull "Good boy. Run along and play with Myce and Hyphe." he instructed. Hatchiyack gave a nod and the trio dashed off down the halls, giggling and laughing. Raichi's expression became serious once they were gone, and he looked to his son "So, what is the problem?" he asked.

Armill gave a small sigh and rubbed his brow. "I suppose it's all this talk of war between the Saiyans and our race...While my family don't live too close to the border, once stray energy blast could...well it's not something I really want to think about." he admitted, looking like a small child before his father. Raichi gave a small 'Tsk' and shook his head in a dismissive fashion, finding this talk of war growing ever more tedious to hear.

"Things will be fine my boy. Just so long as the Tuffle King doesn't bait the Saiyans or make a big deal out of a bunch or troublemakers..." Raichi assured the boy. The young man was no scientist, and architect who oversaw construction in his own city, so it fell to Raichi to assure his safety. "Just trust me. There will be no war."

* * *

_Age 721, one year after the official outbreak of war between the Saiyans and the Tuffles._

"Aman, adjust the concentration in the nutrient paste." Raichi said, his gaze never looking away from the dirt-filled test chamber where several plant-like creatures were growing from like vicious sprouts. The Tuffle King, Lord Bebi, has tasked Raichi with creating mass-produced warriors who could aid on the battlefield and utilise the same ki powers that the Saiyans could tap into. Thus, Raichi had modified his old Servermen into the more vicious Sabermen...Or Saibamen, as the Saiyans falsely pronounced them.

While the Servermen were never designed to be attractive, the Sabermen were truly grotesque creatures. Their pincers had been raplaced with sharp taloned hands, their heads were taller to account for the acid pouch, their eyes had a sickly pink in colour. They had more toned muscles and some natural body armour that could allow them to survive. Alone they were as strong as a low-class Saiyan, but their true strength came in numbers.

"Still no acceleration in growth doctor." Aman remarked, seeing the Sabermen sprouting up at the same rate. Raichi gave an annoyed sigh and ran fingers through his grey mane of hair, and then he turned and headed to a different part of the lab. Aman followed without a word.

"We'll perfect the growth formula in time...Though knowing our luck, it will be after peace is declared." Raichi lamented, giving a soft chuckle as they entered the Destron gas test chamber.

"Peace, doctor? They say that now that the Saiyans have won a few skirmishes, they won't stop until either their race is dead...or ours is." Aman replied. Raichi gave a small tut "Have some faith Aman...While our races have not always been good friends, the Saiyans do owe us. It was, after all, us who sent our ships out to save them from that golden great ape that destroyed their home planet."

"Expecting gratitude from a Saiyan is like expecting blood from a stone." Aman remarked, browsing the chemical equation of Destron Gas that Raichi had drawn up on the board. "Still, once the Destron Gas is completed, they'll slink back to their own hemisphere with their monkey tails between their legs." he added.

The gas was intended to be a peaceful resolution to the war. The current equation created a gas that Tuffles were immune to, but would sterilise the Saiyans. Were they to agree to call off all hostilities, the Tuffles would devise and produce an antidote for the Saiyans. Bebi had turned the offer down, citing that the Saiyans long lifespans meant they could fight for generations and cause massive damage to the Tuffle hemisphere. He demanded a chemical weapon which could kill Saiyans en masse, and while that was a trivial matter for a scientist such as Raichi, he was still reluctant.

"Have faith, Aman." Raichi said, stacking vials of chemical samples on one table "I know I do."

* * *

_Age 725, the Saiyan-Tuffle war has lasted for five straight years in a tense war of attrition._

Raichi quietly laboured on the new mechanical body of Hatchiyack, linking up ciruits and wires that would allow for the distribution of ki. This new body was...hulking compared to the child that had been the Prototype Hatchiyack. At the very least, Hatchiyack was now two feet taller than Raichi himself.

The old man's appearance was getting scruffier. He had so little time to maintain his appearance, now that he spent so much time working on perfecting the Sabermen, the Destron Gas and Hatchiyack's new avatar. Now not only did he have a bushy grey moustache, but a wild beard of silver was growing on his chin.

His work on Hatchiyack's new body was becoming a bit of a priority for Raichi now that his paranoia was growing. Fear that if the Saiyans reached the capital, his life's work would have no way to defen itself. This body had such grand potential even if it was far from completion, only his head and upper-torso currently complete, the key problem was a power source. It elluded Raichi greatly and he had many restless nights wondering how to empower such a mighty machine.

"Doctor." Aman greeted as he walked in from the Destron chamber, his hands folded behind his back "Grave news I'm afraid. The Saiyans have broken through on the western frontier and razed one city to the ground." he explained. Raichi's eyes widened in worry. Armill and his family were close to the western frontier, and even though he spoke with Armill earlier that day he knew the Saiyans could get closer any day now.

"It will be fine." Raichi replied, looking up from Hatchiyack and lifting his goggles off his eyes "Peace will come." he added, though there was a distinct hint of doubt in his voice. "Any other news?" he asked, desperate to change the subject right now.

Aman pursed his lips in thought "Well they say that this 'King Vegeta' is now telling his subjects to pray for a full moon...Why, I cannot say." he said. Well that was very odd. The lunar cycle on Planet Plant was...erratic to say the least, and he couldn' recall any full moons happening as long as the Saiyans had lived here.

"I see. Well let's keep working on Hatchiyack, I hope to complete his arms within a fortnight." Raichi remarked as he pulled his goggles down and got back to work.

* * *

_Age 727, in three years time the war will be over._

Raichi lightly tapped the console bank before him, while his eyes glowered down at a chained Saiyan in the test chamber, a gas dispenser right before the dark-haired monkey man who was clad in a tunic of beastial furs. He was kept in place by a high-gravity field and ki sapping manacles, and his grunts of anger and discomfort would almost make Raichi smile. he had asked to test on this captive specifically, the one who had been detained by Sabermen before he could flee the city he destroyed.

"I wouldn't struggle so much were I you, my dimwitted monkey friend. A touch of these buttons, and I could reduce you to a stain on the floor, like a squashed insect." Raichi growled.

The Saiyan gave an animalistic growl and looked up to Raichi, a few messy black bangs going over his face "So...why...don't you?" he asked through heaving breaths of exertion "You...Disgusting...old Tuffle..Fuck!" he spat.

"Because." Raichi said, walking to another console and flicking another switch which caused the gas dispenser to cough and rumble to life "Then I wouldn't be able to do THIS!" he snarled, pushing another button and causing purple gas to spew from the three conical orifices, quickly filling the airtight chamber. Raichi watched with unblinking eyes as the savage Saiyan choked and sputtered in agony, all strength being sapped from his body and leaving him paralysed as his body quickly decayed from the inside out.

As he was a low class warrior, it was over qickly, and he laid in the smoke filled chamber as a pile of blood and bone and sludge. With another push the chamber was drained of the Destron gas, and two Servermen slowly entered to clean up the mess left behind with acid and scrubbers.

"Doctor...you..." Aman trailed off and looked to his mentor with fearful eyes.

"I perfected the Destron Gas as a killing agent. The stronger the target the longer the decay will take, but it still works." Raichi remarked. "I suppose you are shocked by my...current disposition, aren't you Aman?" the Tuffle asked, earning a slow nod fro his kinsman. "The city, that that ape helped destroy...Was Armill's home." he said flatly.

"My son...his wife...my grandchildren...are all dead." he added, clenching his gloved fists. "And I am as much to blame...because I was foolish enough to believe in peace, and drag my feet in the developement of the Destron Gas." he spat, anger rising rapidly. "Well, no more! We Tuffles tried to help the Saiyans, but they repaid our kindness with death and destruction! I will never forgive them for what they've done for us, even if God himself does!" Tears formed in the doctors weary eyes "I vow...to eradicate every Saiyan in the universe!"

* * *

A/N: Thus ends the first of our two-part special chapter, Grudge. Basically some of my theories on the Saiyan-Tuffle war, the origins of the Saibamen and Hatchiyack, and how Raichi developed such a strong personal hatred of the Saiyans. Not very action-packed, I know, but it's meant to be more of a tragedy. Next time, the Saiyan's conquest of Plant is complete, but how does Hatchiyack lead to the prevention of Majin Buu's resurrection?

Now then, I have been asked about why I dislike the Buu saga so intensly. I might go on a bit, but I want to start by saying that if you like the Buu saga that's perfectly fine and that you're entitled to your opinion. This is just my opinion, so please respect it and try not to start any arguements over my opinion. Some aspects which I liked might make an appearance, such as SSJ3, Fusion Dance and Videl hooking up with Gohan.

Now, the main reasons for my hatred:

-The awkward tonal shift: For me, Dragon Ball started it's shift from comedy to action as far back as Tao Pai Pai and progressed steadily into a full-on action with comedy sprinkled in. When the Buu saga came along, the humour was just slammed into the readers face with no subtlety or build-up.

-All non-Saiyans being made useless: I _hated_ this so much. Everyone in the Cell saga had something to do, even the humans, and they all got decent fights. In the Buu saga, if you weren't blessed with a goddamn monkey tail you could go straight to hell because you had no place in the storyline what-so-ever.

-Gohan not being made a hero: The whole point, and I mean the _whole_ point, of the Cell games was to set Gohan up as the hero and Goku's succesor. Of course, the fanboys whined like little bitches, and Goku was brought back in and Gohan was made lame compared to the badass that killed Cell. He had a brief comeback as Mystic Gohan, but that too was cut-short because nobody uses the damn chance to kill Buu when they have a massive advantage over him. And speaking of Buu...

-Buu was fucking lame! I'm sorry, but aside from Super Buu (Who appeared so far into the saga) the fat blob was such a crap villain compared to Frieza and Cell. I liked that he alowed Hercule to develop as a character, but other than that Fat Buu was just lame. Oh, and the heroes had like...3 chances where they could have killed Buu. SSJ3 Goku, Mystic Gohan and Vegetto could have ended the saga, but NO, it just HAD to be drawn out.

-Goten and Kid Trunks: I swear, a puppy dies whenever I think of these two little ass-goblins. They cheapened the value of the SSJ transformation, they contributed nothing to fights, and their personalities were so grating. Goten was just a more annoying, more stupid copy of Kid Goku and Kid Trunks...it's hard to believe he has any relation to the sword-wielding badass fro the future. Sure, different circumstances and all that, but I have a hard time believing that any kid raised by Vegeta could be so obnoxious and spoiled. Oh yes, and Piccolo, one of my damn favourite characters from the original Dragon Ball series, was turned into comic relief for these two obnoxious shits.

-Main Vegeta: Blatant fan-service used only to tantalise those who actually gave a shit about the rivalry between Goku and Vegeta (Even though Goku would always be stronger ) and it just caused Vegeta's character development to flip-flop all over the place. "I hate my family and want to be stronger, yay I'm stronger, oh wait I actually do love my family. Trunks give me a goddamn hug before I snap you in half!"

So those are my reasons that immediately spring to mind. Even if you don't agree with them, I hope you can at least respect and understand them. If you disagree, that's fine and you're entitled to do so.


	18. Special: Grudge, Part 2

_Age 728. In two years time, the Tuffles on Planet Plant will be no more._

quietly took a seat in a large desk chair, wearing a dusty brown tunic, cream slacks and black boots. His wrinkled hands reached across a desk and took hold of a strange headband, linked to a large computer by several wires, and slipped it onto his wrinkled brow.

His grooming had become non-existant, a large scruffy beard ran down from his chin along with a large moustache, and his grey hair ran down to his shoulders. His eyes looked more weary now than they ever had in their entire life, and they looked as if all the life they had once held were gone completely.

With a push of a button on the monitor before him, a holographic recording began."This is the journal of . A full moon looms, and from my research it seems it will hit the planet in two years time. If this will somehow give the Saiyans an advantage, and leads to my death, I have decided that I will leave some traces of myself to help win the war against the Saiyan menace." Raichi began, staring straight into the recorder.

"I have altered Hatchiyack's mental functions to make him more of a fighter than a thinker, to work better with his goal of killing the Saiyan race. However due to this he needs someone to direct him and issue orders. Thus, I have made preparations to have a second AI added to the supercomputer...a 'ghost' of me." Raichi explained into the recorder, quietly netting his gloved hands in his lap.

He coughed into his fist and then continued his recording "Using some relatively new technology I have been able to mimic my brainwaves." he said, tapping the headband on his chest "This ghost Raichi will issue commands and Hatchiyack will follow them, as he is programmed to follow the orders of anyone he believes to be me." Raichi remarked, his weary eyes darting to the computer for a moment to check the upload progress.

"I believe that I have also solved the problem in regards to powering Hatchiyack, finding a power source that is rather abundant on Planet Plant right now..." He trailed off, as if trying to build some sort of dramatic tension "...Hatred of the Saiyans."

He released a low sigh "It's still in an early stage of development, but I believe I can use Hatchiyack's energy tanks to absorb the Tuffles hatred of the Saiyans, and then gradually process it into ki. While it would take a fair bit to power Hatchiyack's physical avatar, there is no short of hatred right now."

Raichi glowered into the camera then "I will kill every Saiyan. Even if I have to do it posthumously."

* * *

_Age 730. The full moon has risen, and the Tuffles on Planet Plant face their end._

Raichi quietly stared through the viewport of his lab, seeing the distant orange explosions and hazes of fire which lit up the night in tandem with the glowing full moon in the sky. The Saiyans had prayed for this full moon and it had come to them, somehow turning them into giant apes, so powerful that they were steamrolling across the Tuffle hemisphere, marching ever closer to the city of Pil. None of their weapons could hurt them, and due to their sheer size they were above the plumes of purple gas that the prototype gas dispensers could emit.

In an obvious fashion, the destruction and the futility of the Tuffles last stand was horrific, and yet...Raichi couldn't help but see a sort of beauty in the steadily encroaching orange blaze.

"Doctor, I'm...I'm leaving." Aman said, walking into the darkened chamber, his shadow marking the light of the doorway "They say that this...really is the end of our race, save for distant space teams." he added, fear and sorrow evident in his voice. Raichi didn't turn from the window. "So to that end I'm...I'm going to go home and spend what little time I have left with my family."

"Lucky you." Raichi replied, folding his gloved hands behind his back. "Go Aman. I have a war to fight." he added, illuminating the room to reveal the green and golden Hatchiyack supercomputer. It was a curved golden pedastal with a green glass tube atop it. The top of it, looked vaguely like a golden mushroom cap.

"Go." Raichi told his assistant, giving a small nod. Aman nodded in response and jogged off. It was the last time he'd ever see his assistant alive.

The rumbling and earth-shaking power of the Oozaru's footsteps grew gradually closer, but Raichi didn't stop his work for even a nanosecond. Hatchiyack's propulsion systems were working now, but he still couldn't form his physical avatar, not while it still had to process the energy that all the Tuffles hatred was giving him. He'd spend some time in a hibernation period, which was why getting him off plant was Raichi's greatest concerns.

Raichi took a step back and examined the full beauty of his life's work "It's finally finished...my mighty supercomputer, Hatchiyack...Drink deep of our hatred of the Saiyans Hatchiyack." he growled, watching with bloodshot eyes. He dashed over and started ascending the ladder, hoping to launch the computer and stay safe in it's forcefield as it escaped into space.

Fate had other plans.

Suddenly an explosion rocked the compound and knocked Raichi off the ladder. With what strength he had left to muster, Raichi gave a grunt and slammed his palm into the launch button before falling and landing flat on his back. "Go Hatchiyack! One day you will show the Saiyans..." he trailed off, hearing the hum and glow of the green gems on the supercomputer, and a grin crossed his face as Hatchiyack started to absorb the hatred of the Tuffles both alive and dead.

Purple whisps of energy were sucked into the machine, causing the whole thing to briefly flash purple beforeit flew up through the roof of Raichi's lab, dodging the slow mouth blasts of the great apes and rapidly escaping into outer space.

The Oozaru loomed over the bombed out remnants of Raichi's lab. He smirked at his foes and stared up at the full moon. Despite being the instrument of the Tuffles demise, it was such a beautiful and rare thing to behold. Raichi shut his eyes slowly in smug contentment as the shadow of a giant foot crashed down on him.

"You will show the Saiyans the extent of our hatred..."

* * *

_Age 735, 5 years after the Saiyan-Tuffle war._

In his earlier years, Raichi's studies of space had allow him to see a very distant, yet incredibly safe, planet with a thin atmosphere. He had planned to have the Hatchiyack supercomputer land there so that it could hibernate in peace.

Once it landed on the 'Dark Planet' as Raichi had called it, even though he knew full well it was more like a moon in size the supercomputer started creating Servermen who proceeded to build a mechanical fortress around it, and once that was done the Servermen began to develop new and more advanced gas dispensers, using blueprints that had been implanted in their minds.

It had all been planned out by Raichi before his death, and it is almost sad that Planet Vegeta's destruction would come in only Age 737.

* * *

_Age 761. With the Saiyan genocide, hatred of their race has grown to a very limited degree due to an obvious lack in Saiyan activity save for the rampages of Nappa, Vegeta and Raditz._

The supercomputer, now surrounded by a full fortress, had absorbed enough energy to run the Raichi AI but alas it couldn't fully empower the physical avatar of Hatchiyack. It was a conundrum that the 'ghost' of Raichi was having trouble resolving.

Hatred of the Saiyans is the power source his creator intended for powering Hatchiyack's physical avatar...but because of this 'Frieza' person, the Saiyans have been reduced to a small group. So how would he acquire the necessary ki? He supposed syphoning it off from living targets was the most obvious one, bu he could hardly just invade planets and take natives captive. The servermen were hardly fighters, and if Raichi were to draw too much attention to himself...well his quest for revenge would be over too quickly.

Thus, Raichi had dispatched video probes across the north galaxy in an attempt to find a suitable guise for the syphoning of energy. It had to be something that could draw people in, but not to the point where there would be potential threats investigating the Dark Planet and posing a threat to Hatchiyack.

The Raichi AI was capable of browsing through hundreds of hours of recorded footage from those probes in the span of minutes, and it was then that the idea, while examining one world dominated by religion, that the idea of how to effectively syphon energy came to him.

"A cult." the blue-skinned facsimile murmured to himself, his mismatched eyes slowly glancing toward the main body of the Hatchiyack supercomputer. "Hehe...Yes, that idea will do nicely." he mused, sending a quick telepathic message to the Servermen. They had so many things to do now, indoctrinate preachers, build energy absorbing shrines and plant these temples on suitable worlds.

"I believe I'll call it, the Order of Lord Hacha. Oh that sounds good, the simple-minded peons will just love that." Raichi remarked, a wry grin crossing his face.

* * *

_Age 766_

The Order of Hacha had spread quite far across the North Galaxy and the gradual absorption of energy from worshippers had done a great deal to empower Hatchiyack. He could form and power up his physical avatar now, but unfortunately he still could not tap into his full power.

But now Raichi had another powerful warrior on his side, a new agent provocateur. The strange metal lizard who Hatchiyack had very nearly killed.

Raichi loomed over the operating table where the Servermen were busily making upgrades and repairs on his purple metallic body, installing lime green gems into his chest cavity, his forehead and his wrist guards. The power-syphoning gems which would be how this trespasser would make himself useful.

He had taken some sense of glee in twisting and messing with this android's original mind before sealing it away inside it's memory banks and replacing it with an AI akin to Hatchiyack's own, utterly obedient when it came to following Raichi's orders and ruthless in combat.

The Tuffle AI watched as the Servermen modified that purple armour in a more cosmetic sense, engraving him with ornate carvings and modified his eyes into two glowing golden slits, and then attached two deployable ki blades to his wrist guards. The ghost of Raichi turned his mismatched eyes to the video monitors, viewing some memories that stood out to him "Going by his memories, this Frieza fellow had a Saiyan with him."

"...Saiyan..." Hatchiyack growled, clenching and unclenching his giant fist. Even the word could peak the machines anger.

"Now now Hatchiyack, you'll get your time to shine..." Raichi reminded him "But it will be a good chance for our new ally's abilities, and once his upgrades are complete he will be capable of draining the energy from the others. Then you will be at 100% power, and our journey to the Saiyan remnants on Earth, can begin."

There was a sudden beeping within the fortress, and Hatchiyack's face twisted with rage "Trespassers!" he growled, looking to the video monitors which showed a strange cylindrical...almost tower like spaceship moving through the same solar system as the dark planet. The strange thing, that the leaders of both of these crafts would never know, was that they both quested after the energy which could empower their monsters.

"How unfortunate for them. Kill them." the Raichi AI remarked, glancing at Hatchiyack who gave a solemn nod in response.

Hatchiyack's crimson body was briefly illuminated lime green by his ki, and he flew like a rocket toward the tower-like spaceship. He could detect three power levels within it, Dabura ,Pui Pui and Yakon unbeknownst to Hatchiyack. He felt stronger then all of them, even at only roughly 75% power.

As he drew closer to the craft though, a black and red ki orb came flying at Hatchiyack. His gold eyes narrows and he could see some sort of...demonic humanoid in an open doorway. He wasn't moving out into space, so he either had great confidence in his power...Or he couldn't survive in space like Hatchiyack could.

Hatchiyack launched a bright green ki blast at the demons strike and the two bolts collided. There was a highly volatile reaction between the two and a massive explosion formed from the collision, briefly illuminating the blackness of space with wonderful fireworks.

With no ki signature to detect, Hatchiyack was able to rapidly whip around to the other side of the tower-like spaceship, whereupon the red giant rapidly spammed green and black ki blasts, blowing massive chunks out of the craft. The Tuffle android grinned wickedly as he saw the remains of the crew members adrift in space. The more powerful crew members, as the AI predicted, could not survive in the vacuum and were gradually dying off.

With Babidi dead, the quest to revive Majin Buu was no more.

* * *

A/N: Well with Frieza and Cooler alive, and Turles and Lord Slug having never occurred at all, in this timeline it leads to Hatchiyack heading to Earth at a far later period. And thanks to the remains of the Big Gete Star he might have an upgrade or two...

Next chapter we go back to Frieza and the final major antagonist, he has to face before his arrival on Earth. Now just who could it be...?


	19. Out Cold

"Okay so...Explain it to me again..." Inyon said, plucking some strands of food from her teeth and propping her feet up on dinner table. With all the discarded plates filled with tiny leftover bits of food on the table, it was practically heaving and groaning under the weight. "Why're we heading to Earth now? We just gotta dick around for a lil' while and then get the wish from the dragon." The ebony Saiyaness had been returned to the waking world a few hours after Frieza made his pact with the Namekian Elder, though Frieza ommitted any mention of his tears.

Frieza gave a small sigh as he used his mind to levitate the dishes to the washing robot "Because Inyon, this is a matter of pride." he said "We are rather close to Earth at this stage, we can head there and avenge my father and then by the time we reach Namek their Dragon Balls will be free for our use." the former prince added. Though, as more repressed memories of his father resurfaced, the less he was sure about avenging him.

"Huh." Inyon said, flicking something off her finger across the kitchen "Maybe while we're there we can snag the Earth Dragon Balls and get a wish from them?" she suggested.

"My my, that's actually not a bad idea Inyon." Frieza replied, a look of mild surprise on his youthful face.

"Heehee!" Inyon chuckled, grinning and placing her hands behind her head "Well, people often think I'm stupid and all that, but I have my brief flashes of condensation."

"Inspiration." Frieza corrected.

"What?" Inyon asked flatly, tilting her head to the side like a curious dog. Frieza gave a small growl of annoyance, pinched the bridge of his white nose, and shook his head. A useful ally as she was, Inyon's intellect could often match that of a spanner.

"In any event." Frieza said, clasping his hands behind the small of his back and slowly swishing his tail "We will need to make another supply run given the ammount of food that you just wolfed down...Thankfully that Zaltian had told us of a useful port planet called Essos." Frieza remarked. That fellow, the green-eyed frog named Darmakar. He had told Frieza of this small port town and how things were cheap there, but he also warned of a small trail of destruction an unknown force had left in that area of the North Galaxy.

Not that such stories frightened the former ruler of the galaxy.

Frieza gave a small hum and looked up once he felt the rumble of the Shatterstar, the purple diamond craft exiting hyperspace. The Arcosian quietly walked over to one viewport in the kitchen to catch a glimpse of Essos. His eyes widened at the sight.

Large patches of the planet were ablaze with massive orange plumes, so large that even the naked eye could see it from space "Set us down Midgyo." Frieza ordered through the intercom of the Shatterstar "I want to get to the bottom of this."

* * *

_Meanwhile, on Earth._

When Launch and Tien had first started living together, the Blonde Launch had expressedher displeasure in the fact that they were constantly moving from place to place. At the very least they could try living somewhere more populated.

Tien, in response, had been adamant in that he didn't want to be living in a big city. Thus they compromised and moved to Bunbuku island, an average-sized island community. Tien's income while living here had been through work as a sort of lawman for the island, and Launch's income had been...years of ill-gotten gains that Tien was unaware of.

On this day, Tien, Yamcha, Krillin and Chiaotzu were gathered in a more deserted part of the island. "Well, I think I've hit the limit of what we can do with Kaioken." the triclops remarked with a small sigh, earning curious looks from his comrades.

They had all been practising heavily with the technique King Kai had taught them, to the point where they could tap into the well of power at will without need to say the word. "What do you mean by limit?" the scar-faced bandit Yamcha asked, running a hand through his clipped short ebony hair.

"I mean, that near as I can tell I've trained myself to my physical limit, and past a certain point my body can't adapt to the strain of a Kaioken power multiplier." Tien replied with a low sigh. "Just...check this out." he added, taking a small inhale through his nose.

Tien quietly entered his Crane School stance, steadying his whole body. For several moments there was nought but silence, until suddenly the ground beneath Tien's feet started to quake, forcing the other human fighters to stumble backward in shock. The triclops' muscles rippled and his veins popped to the surface of his skin. His crimson aura flared up, smashing the earth beneath him.

All three of Tien's eyes were glowing bright white, and he clenched his teeth in pain as the power racked his body with pain. "T-Tien stop, that's too much power for your body to handle!" Krillin yelled, taking worried steps backward. Tien either didn't hear him or just ignored him.

The triclops pulled one arm back and took aim at a large, distant rock formation, and then gave a loud yell as his fist shot out. The shockwave behind the blow carved a massive trench in the rocky earth as it headed toward the rock formation. It hit the distant mound and caused it to explode into a massive plume of dust on impact, shooting large shards of rock into the blue sky above them.

Tien's aura left him and he stumbled back with a weak groan from the exertion, landing flat on his ass. "Gah...That was a times 60 Kaioken boost. As you can...as you can tell, the strength boost is massive, but the after effect makes it too costly to be practical."

"H-holy shit..." Yamcha murmured in disbelief, his eyes still transfixed on the slowly fading plume of dust and smoke that Tien's attack had caused. "S-so if that's the limit of Kaioken, what are we supposed to do? That technique was the only way we could keep up with Goku's Super Saiyan transformation." the bandit remarked.

Tien spent a few moments catching his breath and then wiped the sweat from his brow before responding "We're martial artists, we make a new and better technique." he said simply.

Krillin gave a nervous laugh and scratched the side of his bald head "Don't know how to tell you this man but we don't have all that much time to make a new technique. We only have a few months until the day the Androids are supposed to turn up." the monk remarked.

Before Tien could reply, he glanced to a nearby hill to see blue-haired Launch jogging toward the group "Are you guys okay? I saw the huge explosion and I came as quickly as I could." she asked, her eyes shining with innocence and her chest heaving with laboured breaths.

"It's fine, just showing the guys an attack I've been working on." Tien assured the blue-haired woman. He had grown to love both halves of Launch's mind, the loving and innocent blue-haired side, and the fiery hellcat that was her blonde-haired side. He got to his feet, looming over his girlfriend in height, and planted a small peck on her forehead "You worry too much."

Launch's pretty face turned slightly pink and a bashful smile graced her lips "I can't help but worry. You died on me once, after all." she replied, causing Tien to feel slightly guilty. "Don't be like that...Okay, I'm heading back to the house. Try not to hurt yourself now." the blue-haired woman said, giving a small nod and dashing off.

Tien was smiling warmly at his departing lover, before glancing over at Yamcha and noticing the grimace on the bandit's face as he stared at the ground. He then recalled his former rival's heartbreak "Oh, wow, Yamcha I'm...I'm sorry man."

"No it's...It's fine, really." Yamcha lied, looking up and forcing a smile to the other human warriors. "I ah...I figured Bulma and I would break up eventually, but that's now why it sucks so much...Of all the people she could have left me for, why _him?_ Why _Vegeta?" _the scar-faced bandit spat that name with so much venom that it was almost a little worrying. "The spikey-haired bastard who had his goons kill me, the monster that was going to burn our planet to cinders...Why him?"

"I wish I could tell ya man..." Krillin remarked, scratching his neck in an awkward fashion. "Look, you'll get someone else soon enough, I promise, but right now...we have training to do." the monk added, walking over and giving Yamcha a small pat on the back.

Yamcha gave a weary sigh and a small exhale "Right...Right. Yeah, let's get ready to kick some Android ass!"

* * *

"Hrm...I'm sensing several power levels down that way...Well that or it's just one ginormous power level." Inyon remarked as she and Frieza flew side-by-side from the Shatterstar's landing site to the nearby bombed-out city.

"Hm. Definitely a few people involved in the battle, going by the scattered explosions." Frieza remarked. Right now he was only using 25% of his fourth forms power "Come on. We'll clear up this sordid mess and see what supplies we can gather amidst the ruins." he said, his purple aura flashing and boosting Frieza's flying speed. Inyon followed suit.

Indeed, once they drew close to the city, several aliens burst from the smoke to accost them. They were odd, wearing identical suits of armour with no symbols upon them that Frieza could recognise. Their armour was a purple shade from head to toe, save for the glass visor that covered their faces which was a ruby red in shade. While they had numbers, they posed little threat.

Frieza wrapped the three digits of his left foot around the skull of one approaching soldier and crushed his skull like an eggshell. His tail lashed to one side and sent one enemy soldier spiralling out of the air and crashing into a ruined husk of a building, and finally he launched a Death Beam which pierced the stomachs of two soldiers, letting their lifeless bodies fall to the smashed city streets below them.

While Frieza was being ruthless in efficient, Inyon was having a whale of a time with the slaughter of attackers. Most likely this was deja vu from her days in the Saiyan army, cleansing planets for Frieza. She gave a joyous yell as she punched one trooper's head clean off his shoulders, followed by a rapid roundhouse kick which launched two soldiers across the sky like brutalised ragdolls. The muscular female tore one Soldier's arm off and started cackling wildly as she flailed it around like a fleshy club, shouting "ARM KILL! ARM KILL!" whenever she landed a lethal blow. Which was surprisingly often.

Suddenly Frieza heard a yell from behind him, and he turned his head to see one of the purple armoured soldiers divebombing toward him with a ki blade on one hand. "DIE FRIEZA! DIE!"

But then, just as suddenly as the soldier appeared he was enveloped by jade fires, causing the soldier to give a dying screa as his very atoms were burnt away by the strange flames. Frieza cast his gaze to the source of the emerald fires, to see a rather tall hooded humanoid. He was clad in odd attire, a white tunic with matching gloves and boot over a black gi. The Arcosian prince couldn't make out the species of his attacker, because his face was concealed by dusty brown face wrappings.

"I wouldn't focus my attention on the small fries, were I you." the stranger remarked. He stood up fully, a little over 7 foot much to Frieza's shock. "Big fish is on his way right now." he added.

"Big fish..." Frieza murmured "And just what do you mean by th-" the former tyrant was cut short by a massive explosion which rocked the ruined city. From the ash and dust a tall figure, almost as tall as the stranger with the green fire, arose into the soot-filled sky. He was somewhat wirey in build, covered in sinews of muscle. His hair spiked up and Frieza would have thought this scowling young man a Super Saiyan were it not for the fact that his hair glowed blue in shade. He wore a red sash around his waist and had baggy white trousers, topped off by gold boots and gauntlets and a matching headband on his brow.

"Who...is that...?" Frieza asked the stranger, trying to get a reading on this newcomers ki. His scouters simply couldn't process all that energy though.

"A monster." the stranger spat, re-entering his fighting stance and forming a crackling orb of jade fire on one gloved hand "The same one who has been reigning death on planets in this quadrant of the galaxy." he added. This was a detail that surprised Frieza...He had expected the army had been the cause of all this destruction, but for one individual...Well, it was impressive.

Inyon paused mid-rampage and stared at the stranger, surprised by his ki like Frieza had been. Then, like a rocket he flew forth and drop-kicked Inyon through the cracked roads.

"Tch...Come on stranger, we needs to beat him!" Frieza yelled, dashing forth and trying to land a punch on the lanky strangers face. The blue-haired young man's arm shot up and blocked the punch with minimal effort, while Frieza winced from the impact. It was like trying to punch a slab of granite!

The super-warrior spun rapidly and gave a primal roar, smashing Frieza in the jaw with the back of his knuckle and hitting him clean through two buildings which collapsed into rubble once Frieza hit through them. The stranger dashed toward the blue-haired warrior and seemed a bit more successful in his assault, knocking the strange blue-haired fighter back several metres with his flurries of punches and kicks, a spark of green fire flying off his fists upon each impact. Still, he too was sent hurtling away by a quick elbow to the ribs.

Inyon burst forth then with a primal shriek, smashing her knuckles into the lanky warrior's cheek. The force was such that it caused the male's eyes to bulge out of his head, the pain of a few cracked teeth hitting him. Frieza flew in next, having powered up to 60% of his power, and buried his knee into the glowing blue-haired warrior's lower back, which caused the stranger to give the first growl of pain that Frieza had heard from him.

Frieza and Inyon struck in unison then, their knees smashing the lanky abomination in the face and sending him soaring about a dozen metres away before he corrected himself. Then the blue-haired warrior was struck in the side by an equally blue ki beam which drove him into the earth and kicked up a powerful explosion.

"I was aware he'd be coming here, and I had been training for his arrival...But he's beyond what I expected." the strange in the black dogi remarked, giving some measured breaths.

"You a native then?" Inyon asked. It wasn't impossible, they had hardly seen anything else here that could have been a native.

"Yes and no." the masked stranger replied casually, his eyes scanning for their super-powered foe.

"What the hell does that even me-" Inyon's question was cut short by an ear-splitting roar and a shockwave that blew away several of the decimated buildings. "Q-quick, Frieza, we need to transform!" Inyon said frantically as the blue haired warrior flew from the smoke, an enraged expression on his bruised face.

Before either warrior could transform, they were struck by powerful clothesline attacks. Whoever this guy was, his arms packed the punch of a freight train.

Before Frieza and Inyon could make a counterattack, the lanky blue-haired warrior clutched them both by the arms and spun them around several times before releasing his grip and sending the two hurtling to the ground, making a large crater on impact. Without missing a beat, the superhuman planet-killer pulled one arm back and formed a green ki ball in his palm which he promptly flung at the downed warriors.

With no time to dodge or even block, he and Inyon were blasted across the husk of a city by the white hot explosion. Frieza gave a strangled gasp of pain and shoved a massive chunk of debris off his back. He could feel blood trickle down from his nostrils and then noted a few black burns on his once ivory skin. With a quick glance to his side, Frieza spotted Inyon sprawled face down on one large debris chunk, the slow rhythmic rising and falling of her chest she was alive right now.

The former prince looked up to see the hooded warrior throwing rapid and skillful kicks at the blue-haired warrior, and while he landed a few good hits, he was soon caught off guard by a savage punch from the blue-haired warrior, causing the hooded fighter to stumble back.

The giant gripped the other warrior's skull with one hand, and then started laughing maniacly as he divebombed toward the ground, smashing the hooded fighter into the ground with such force that it rended the earth apart and sent Frieza and the unconscious Inyon back even further.

A weak groan escaped his lips as the injured claoked warrior was dumped before him, and when Frieza looked up he could see the blue-haired warrior forming a green ki orb in his hand.

Then suddenly the strange lanky warrior tensed and seemed to be racked with intense pain, the gem on his crown glowing. "That's enough Broly!" a distinctly masculine voice called out. From behind this 'Broly', Frieza could see a one-eyed Saiyan holding out a glowing gold ring, which seemed connected to the crown.

"So the rumours are true, Lord Frieza is alive, and he's acting as some sort of...defender of the people. How humorous." the Saiyan male remarked, stroking his beard with his other hand. "Knock them out Broly. I want Frieza and his allies present when we obtain our final victory."

At his command the lanky boy, who was appearantly a Saiyan too, pulled his fist back and knocked Frieza out cold when the blow struck him.

* * *

A/N: Yeah it's now mandatory to have Broly appear in an AU fanfic. Even if you don't like the character. Still, I hope you liked the chapter and the little peak into events on Earth.

So, in one guest review (They don't show up sometimes for whatever reason) it was asked just how old Frieza was. In Age 730, when Glacei hired the Saiyans, he was rather old and sickly and died in that same year. At that time, Frieza was 12 and was given control of the Saiyans by King Cold. The flashback where Cooler told him spook stories about the Saiyan who killed Chilled was in the same year. Queen Cold died just about a year after that.

When Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta in Age 737 he was 19 years old, and currently in Age 766 Frieza is 48. Similar to the Saiyans and Namekians though, the Arcosians live long lifespans an don't show ageing like humans do.

Do keep in mind that my theories on Frieza's backstory and age are complete musings by me, but then again Frieza's backstory is fully open to interpretation.

Also the Zaltian mentioned in the story was a cameo done for a faithful reader called ShinyShiza. Not much of a cameo I know, but it was better than getting killed off by Broly.


	20. Shook to the Core

When Frieza awoke, he felt a strong pain rack his body, and very quickly realised there was some sort of metal disk digging into his brow. He felt...weak, and he couldn't seem to summon any ki at all, nor could he draw on his potent telekinetic abilities.

"I wouldn't try to remove the crown were I you. It shocks you."A familiar voice remarked. Through blurred vision, Frieza could see the one addressing him was the masked individual from Essos who had helped fight against the blue-haired warrior, Broly. The tall being was currently undoing the wrappings on his face and his features gradually became more visible. When his vision cleared completely, Frieza's eyes widened in shock at a realisation at who this stranger was.

The masked warrior from Essos was a Namekian.

"Call me Slak." he said, extending a gloved hand out to Frieza. It was then that Frieza realised Slak also had a gold crown on his brow to suppress his own energy. His face was long and gaunt, and he had a few wrinkles forming on his olive drab skin. He wore two silver earrings on his elf-like ears which were like tiny silver pyramids linked to his ears by two beads.

Frieza slowly reached out and shook Slak's hand before remarking "I don't understand, Namekians don't have any spacecraft." he remarked.

Slak gave a nod "The modern Namekians that you have encountered lack such technology. But before the great storms that threatened to destroy all of Namek...It was almost 400 years ago." the tall Namekian mused.

"Hm. Records do say that the planet was prone to violent weather shifts." Frieza remarked. His eyes shot up "But wait a moment, how does a Namekian grow so powerful?" he asked. Slak, going by the prowess he had shown against Broly, could have defeated Frieza handily during his invasion of Namek.

"You're wondering why I wasn't on Namek to stop you?" he asked, raising a brow. "I was only aware of what happened after the planet's destruction. Have no fear, I want no revenge. I've also heard how you saved the new Planet Namek, and that makes up for your crimes to my kind in my eyes. But I digress...My father was one of the last Namekian shamans when the great storms began. He had taken me, only an egg at the time, aboard his spacecraft and the two of us fled from Namek until we reached Essos." he began.

"So, for the next few hundred years, my father taught me all his mystical knowledge and taught me how to fight so that I could help in the defence of our new home." Slak added, shifting uncomfortable on the cold metal floor on their holding cell. "When my father grew too old, he asked to merge with him so that his knowledge could still aid me. However despite all my mystic training and power, Broly still caught me off guard." the Namekian remarked.

"That's...actually rather impressive." Frieza said, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall "But what exactly is a Namekian Shaman?" he asked.

Slak pursed his lips in thought "Think on the Warriors and the Dragon Clans you encountered. Before the great storm, there were several clans, and the Shamans were among those clans. We were practitioners of the mystic arts, though we used out magic for combat and focused very little on the schools of healing and magic materialisation that the Dragon Clan used." he explained.

"Words word words! You guys are boring the crap out of me here!" Inyon spat. Frieza looked up and stared at the holding cell directly across from the one he and Slak were sharing. It seemed the tall Saiyaness was sharing a cell with Polarri and Ais, all three women wearing the same power-suppressing headbands. Then Frieza noticed something was a little off, one of their crew was missing "Wait, where's-"

He paused, seeing Polarri frantically pushing her fingers to her lips, telling Frieza to shush. She leaned over and mouthed across the corridor 'Midgyo is in hiding.'

Frieza blinked in surprise, and then a grin crossed his face.

* * *

Once Frieza and Inyon's defeat became apparent back on Essos, and Paragus' army started advancing toward the Shatterstar, Polarri and Ais made a hasty plan that could help Frieza escape. Polarri handed Midgyo the shapeshifting mechanical bracelet he had formed from the Meta Cooler fragments and then shoved him into the large ventilation shafts of the Shatterstar. She had begged and pleaded with the Litt she had grown to care for so dearly over these past few months, and then waited to meet the Saiyan head on.

They had surrendered without a fight, knowing that they'd surely die if they tried to fight, and thus they were taken aboard as prisoners. Then Paragus ordered that the Shatterstar be taken aboard, as he planned to use it for spare parts.

Midgyo only caught a sneaky glimpse at Paragus' ship through one of his viewports, and the craft was simply gargantuan in size, a giant white egg covered in glowing lights.

The hangar of the egg-like ship was huge in it's own right, filled with several Attack Balls and small shuttles. But no troopers for the time being, so Midgyo took his chance and snuck from the Shatterstar and headed to one ventilation shaft. With a thought, the nanomachine bracelet changed shape and turned into an automatic screwdriver, which opened up the vent grate. He quickly crawled inside the vent and closed it shut behind him then. Even if he had no detectable ki signature, he had to be careful to leave no traces of his presence.

From what his video probes had shown him, Midgyo knew the one-eyed Saiyan had placed ki suppressing headbands on his captured allies, thus the idea to remedy the situation that came to Midgyo's mind was to create an EMP.

Lucky for him, these ventilation tunnels had no shortage of parts and electronics to convert.

He climbed and crawled as quiet as a church mouse, opening up wall panels to scavenge wires and metal pieces which were promptly integrated by the Meta-Cooler fragments, working ever closer to creating a portable EMP device.

However as he crept through the tunnels, Midgyo froze in his tracks once he looked through one grate, seeing Paragus and that mind-controlled monster of his, Broly. The young man seemed to constantly be in a trance, and it was hard to believe such a depressed, wretched looking creature could cause such destruction.

But that sheer power caused Midgyo to freeze. He clamped his beak shut and kept his eyes tightly closed, terrified to make even a breath if that monster detected his presence.

"Hehe...Frieza, I honestly can't believe it. Ironically, his genocide of the Saiyans was the only reason we both survived." Paragus remarked, smirking as he looked at various stellar maps in the room around him. Midgyo, against his better judgement, hazarded a glance into the chamber and was quite surprised with the star map. This giant egg-like spaceship was travelling into a different galaxy, the south one to be specific, a a rapid pace. If Frieza and the others could seize this ship, they'd reach Earth in under a day,even if they started in the south galaxy.

"I think I'll leave him alive just long enough to see me kill 'Prince' Vegeta." Paragus sneered. Broly didn't actually seem to be listening, absent-mindedly staring off into space. "He should see the start of the new universal order that we'll bring about my boy." Paragus added, placing a gloved hand on the lanky Saiyan who was his son.

"Now go rest in your room. I don't want you being caught off guard again." Paragus said before he left with a flourish of his white cape. Broly lingered for a moment, as if in thought, and then walked out to find his room.

Midgyo silent and unmoving for what felt like an eternity, before he finally breathed a sigh of relief and continued on his journey to create his portable EMP.

* * *

"So. How are we gonna beat that lanky fuck when we get outta' here?" Inyon asked, leaning against the back of her cell and rubbing the small bruise she got on her cheek from the battle against Broly.

"Simple, we transform. I wasn't even at full power when he blindsided me, defeating him while transformed should be a trivial matter." Frieza remarked, his long ivory tail coiling beneath him to form a sort of makeshift chair.

"If it's of any use, I know a way to further enhance your power. Of course I'd need to remove the headband and have access to my ki if I were to do it." Slak remarked, earning the curiosity of both Inyon and Frieza. "The Shamans were one of the clans who could unlock a persons hidden potential to further augment their fighting power. While I currently can't tell the potential of either of you, I imagine the increase would be admirable."

While Frieza pondered the power he could recieve from Slak's technique, an elderly voice chimed in which caught Frieza's attention. "You can't seriously be considering fighting that beast, can you?" an aged, short green creature with a flowing white beard asked. He reminded Frieza of those ghastly Saibamen creatures the Saiyans were so fond of using.

"He enslaved us, he showed power no living being should possess...Fighting him is madness." the short creature said, before spotting something moving down the corridor and promptly shuffling off in the opposite direction.

It was at that oment Paragus came into view, a smirk on his disfigured face. "I have to admit, I'm shocked that a Saiyan of all people would spare my life. What exactly is the meaning of this?" the Arcosian asked, now standing up fully.

"Because, hard as it may be to believe, the only reason I'm alive right now is because of your attack on Planet Vegeta." Paragus replied, causing Frieza's eyes to widen. "My son was born on the eve of Planet Vegeta's destruction, born with a power level of 10'000. King Vegeta was fearful of Broly's power, and too blind to see my son's potential. As a result, he ordered for me and Broly to be killed."

Paragus smirked at Frieza "But thanks to your Death Ball striking Planet Vegeta, the shock unlocked Broly's latent power which led to him forming a protective barrier. For you see, my son Broly is the Legendary Super Saiyan." At this, Frieza went stone stiff, petrified. He...was the reason his most feared enemy existed? Frieza was growing rather sick or irony...

"Unfortunately for me though, Broly's power soon grow to the point where even I wasn't safe from his rage." Paragus added, gesturing to the scar of where one of his eyes had once been. "So I commissioned the creation of the ki-suppressing headband and the ring that would allow me to control and direct Broly with greater ease. Yours are of a similar design, but all I need from you is for you to live just long enough to see my revenge against Vegeta for what his father did to us." Paragus explained.

The older Saiyan smirked and stretched "And then you'll die too." the one-eyed Saiyan said, walking off once more. Frieza as he was, shocked to the core.

There was a long silence before Inyon spoke up "What a butthole."

* * *

By the time Paragus egg-shaped craft landed on the ruined planet which Paragus had designated 'New Vegeta', Midgyo had scavenged enough parts for the Meta-Cooler fragments to design a portable EMP. He sent several minutes using his mind to arrange the wiring and circuits in such a way that it would go off as planned.

In the time Midgyo spent working on the EMP and crawling to the holding cells, Broly, Paragus and their Shamoian slaves had left for Paragus' fortress. The remnants of Paragus footsoldiers had stayed aboard to keep Frieza and his crew in check. Oh if only they knew...`

The Litt moved quietly through the ventilation shafts and after a while navigating the labyrinthine structure of the egg-ship until he finally reached the holding cells. He was in full view of Polarri's cell, which she was sharing with Ais and Inyon, and the avian saw his lover's face light up at the sight of him.

Not wanting to leave Polarri in that cramped cell any longer than need be, Midgyo triumphantly clicked the portable EMP and let the electronics distorting wave fly out across the egg-ship and surrounding landscape of New Vegeta. "Haha, surprise suckas!" Midgyo cried out, punching his arm up...and promptly wincing once he realised he just punched the roof of the vent.

The imprisoned warriors promptly tore their now defunct headbands off and blew open their cell doors. In the span of a few seconds, Inyon and Frieza both transformed and sent the remaining Pargus soldiers fleeing in terror.

"Excellent work Midgyo." Frieza said, prying the grate open with telekinesis so the bird-man could slide free of the metal tunnel.

Polarri gave a happy squeal and rushed over, embracing the Litt tightly "I knew you could do it! Oh you are just so awesome!" she said, pecking his beak affectionately.

Midgyo gave a nervous laugh, his skin flushing from the embace "Ah it was...It was nothing." he said, deciding not to divulge information on his terror at the sight of Broly and is fears of impending death.

Frieza cast his gaze toward Slak then, who was removing his tunic, the top half of his black gi and then the thick white gauntlets. Every piece he shed his the ground with a loud thud and left a deep dent in the metal floor. "A Namekian wearing weighted clothing...why does that seem so familiar?" he murmured "Anyway, are you prepared to kill this Broly character? I doubt the EMP reached far enough to effect his own crown." Frieza mused.

Slak scowled and looked up "I'm not so sure about that."

As Paragus walked through the corridors of his fortress with Broly in tow, he gave howl of pain as the controller in his gloved palm crackled with electricity and shorted out "Wh-what the..." he hastily glanced to Broly, and his remaining eye widened in horror.

Broly took a confused blink as his daze wore off, and he slowly looked around "Where...what the..." he gaze settled on Paragus "YOU!" the Legendary Saiyan snarled, tearing his head band off in one swift motion

He quickly powered up, his hair shining gold instead of blue and the force of his ki knocking Paragus flat on his ass. He shot his father a hate-filled glance and spat "You're the one who kept me inside a prison of my own mind for all these years! Made ME you're slave! No more 'dad' I'm calling the shots now, you filthy worm!"

As his anger built, his power did also, and soon he doubled over in pain as his muscles started to swell. "No...N-no, this was what I was afraid of..." Paragus murmured shakily, flying as fast as he could through the corridors of his castle, desperately trying to reach his ship or an attack ball.

The earth quaked and rumbled and then suddenly a giant green orb of ki exploded out from the fortress, completely obliterating it. From the ashes a figure burst forth and crashed one monstrous knee onto Paragus spine, completely shattering it and then reducing Paragus' torso to a pulpy mess once he applied a little more force.

Frieza and the others had been drawn out to the landing ramp from all the commotion being caused, and all of them stared in awe at the impossibly muscular, white-eyed appearance of Broly's Legendary Super Saiyan form.

"Now then..." Broly growled, standing up fully and staring at Frieza, Inyon and Slak "Which of you wishes to die next?!"

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, the battle with Broly kicks off for real! How well will our heroes fair against the roid-raging Saiyan?

Now for some Q and A junk.

Bluecat: In regards to Saiyan ageing, that was moreso poor wording on my part. I meant that Saiyans have slow ageing and Namekians have very long lifespans, while Arcosians effectively have both of these things. I don't feel Saiyans are immortal, I just know they don't age all that much once they hit their 20's.

Valinar: Yes yes, I'm aware that Frieza has been taking his lumps, but well he wasn't at full power at the time and was caught off guard. Plus a whole bunch of people more powerful than Frieza did pop up after his death, I'm just sort of rolling with that. In addition, it'll play a part in Frieza's worldview as now he'll realise with the constant flow of people who could be more powerful than him, he honestly couldn't ever rule the galaxy in the same way again in case such a person opposed him. As was the case with Kanchapp.

FoolsGil: Much as I like the Mirai Broly who appears in Honor Trip, he had a different set of circumstances that made him how he is. The Broly who'll appear in this fic will be more like the one from Movie 8, a blood-thirtsy 'roided up loony.

And now, onwards!


	21. Unafraid

Frieza, Inyon and Slak all glared at Broly, who was clenching his monstrous fists in anticipation for the incoming battle. "L-Lord Frieza, no matter what, you have to keep this ship safe." Midgyo murmured from behind. Frieza gave a mere nod in response.

"Ais, Polarri, I want you two to go round up the Slaves and get them aboard. We'll keep Broly busy." Frieza remarked. His blazing garnet eyes narrowed at the hulking Saiyan and he clenched both his fists together once his bone mask clamped over his features. "You're the monster that's haunted every nightmare I've ever had since I was a boy. You're the beast who I once feared would topple my empire...The creature who killed my great great grandfather, reborn."

As Ais and Polarri dashed off to gather the Shamoians, Frieza's crimson aura flickered to life "I...Am the one who has to defeat you now. I'll conquer my greatest fear, once and for all!" he snarled. He dashed forth and shot a rapid punch at Broly which was hastily blocked with one massive arm, but Frieza was unwilling to let up and instead drove his heel into Broly's hip and forced him to stumble backwards in pain.

Inyon flew forth like a golden bullet, her elbow driving into Broly's cheek and knocking him back a few metres "Ha, those big freak muscles might make you strong, but I bet they make you slow as shit!" Inyon mocked. She gave a loud yelp as she narrowly dodged one of Broly's large fists "Gah! HE'S FAST TOO!" the ebony Saiyaness remarked before Broly roared and backhanded her into the sky.

Frieza and Slak both lunged forth, throwing skilled punches and kicks at the Legendary Super Saiayan. He was grinning like a madman as he blocked most of the incoming strikes, and even those that broke his guard only left purple welts which the Saiyan seemed to ignore entirely`

"HAHA! With puny strength like that, you'll never beat me!" Broly cackled, his fist smashing down like a jackhammer, causing Slak to the crash through the stone bridge. Frieza threw another strong punch, which was quickly caught and held tight in Broly's massive hand "My weakling father said that I have you to thank for the power I now possess! FAHAHA, isn't that a laugh?! But I think I'll show my thanks by killing you quicker than your pathetic friends!" the giant spat.

An orb of lime green ki formed in Broly's other hand, which he promptly jammed against Frieza's chest. The orb sent the former tyrant flying skyward, and once the orb exploded Frieza was sent soaring across the horizon.

Inyon dashed forth and fired a gold ki beam at Broly, hitting him just above the abs. The towering abomination that called itself a Saiyan snarled and growled in pain and discomfort, but with a quick pump of his chest the beam dispersed, leaving a black scorch on Broly's torso. His pain-filled grimace turned to a grin, and Broly dashed forth, smashing Inyon with a clothesline and knocking the Saiyaness across the horizon to the ruined, desolate city in the distance.

They'd come back soon enough, so Broly decided to vent his destructive tendencies elsewhere. His white eyes scanned about, setting on a crowd of slaves.

The Shamoians really had no time to be sceptical of the two Arcosian maidens who went to round them up, not with the super warriors causing the planet itself to tremble with their power. They were like the gods and demons of the Shamoian folklore, the creatures who's wrath was so powerful that the stars themselves were mere after-effects of their power.

These monsters were all too real.

"Come on, this way!" Ais whispered frantically, leading a large crowd of the stumpy aliens from the mines they had been housed in toward the egg-ship which could easily house their numbers. "How do you think Frieza and the others are fairing Polarri?...Polarri?" Ais repeated. She turned to see her oldest friend staring wide-eyed into the sky. Following her friends gaze, Ais' eyes also widened once they saw a grinning, cross-armed Broly glowering down at at them.

He landed a few feet away, his gold boots giving a menacing *Clank* a they touched the earth. Ais visibly tensed, and the Shamoians were all cowering in terror. "P-Polarri I...I want you to take those little guys and get them as far away as possible. I'll t-try and occupy him."

"W-what...? Ais, y-you seriously can't be telling me to just abandon you!" Polarri murmured, shaking her head softly "I won't leave you! This is just...I never left you before, and I won't start now!" she exclaimed.

"Polarri..." Ais murmured in disbelief, her eyes welling up slightly at her oldest friend.

Broly's white eyes cast over the trembling Shamoians and a smirk crossed his manic face "Oh look, the little slaves decided to be brave and flee..." he growled mockingly. He turned his back on the group and stared to the night sky "I noticed how you all like to look up at the sky at that silly planet of yours." he remarked. His voice now oozed venom and sarcasm "You're probably dreaming that you could go back there some day."

Suddenly a green ki ball formed in his hand "BUT IT'S JUST A DREAM!" he yelled, spinning rapidly and flinging the ki orb at the group. At the last moment it swung up, looking to head on a collision course for the Shamoian homeworld. Until an orb of jade fire collided with the ki ball mid-air, causing it to explode in the sky before it could get anywhere near the small planet.

Broly gave an annoyed girl, and the crowd of Shamoians breathed a collective sigh of relief, as the attack was foiled. Glancing quickly to one side, the hulking Saiyan spotted Slak holding one outstretched arm "Think again monster. You robbed me of my home, but you won't take the home of anyone else!" he spat, bearing his fanged teeth.

Inyon landed beside Slak, a few scratches and scars on her exposed dark flesh and some chunks missing from her armour. Following that, Frieza flew above the group, his aura ablaze with power "Attack together!" he ordered, dashing in and firing off a rapid storm of punches and kicks which Broly was weaving away from. Inyon joined him in the assault and really helped push Broly onto the defensive, but they still weren't landing any clean hits on the manic bastard!

It was at that moment that Slak managed to swoop around and strike Broly from behind. He raised one arm, wreathed in emerald fire, and chopping at Broly's ribs. The Legendary Saiyan shrieked and howled in agony as his flesh was burnt by the green blaze. Slak pulled his arm back and briefly smirked at the damaged his caused, a blackened scar of molten, blistering flesh that still simmered from the latent heat of the Shaman's mystic flames. "You...You hurt me..." Broly mumbled.

Never had he been injured to heavily in combat, but in one swipe a lone Namekian had shattered the Legendary Super Saiyans previous notions of invulnerability.

"YOU SLIME!" Broly snapped, grabbing one of Slak's arms in one hand, and then swinging his free gargantuan fist at Slak's torso. The force of the punch tore his arm clean from it's socket, sending sprays of purple blood across the grey ground beneath them.

"GAH!" Slak howled, gripping his bleeding purple arm stump "WHY DO PEOPLE ALWAYS TEAR OFF THE GOD DAMN ARMS?!" Slak snarled, writhing in shock and pain.

Broly leapt into the sky, he legs raised so he could stomp on the downed Namekian on impact, only for Frieza to swoop in at the last moment. One of his four ebony horns grazed the fresh blistered burn on Broly's ribs. The Saiyan howled in anger and agony as the black horns opened and deepened his gash further. While Broly was distracted by this new experience of pain, Frieza clamped both his hands together and smashed into the towering Saiyan's lower back with such force that he was sent hurtling into a plateau which shattered on impact.

Without a moments hesitation Frieza formed a massive Death Ball, crackling with red and black lightning, in one hand and promptly flung it at Broly. The giant scrambled to his feet and caught the incoming sphere of ki. Frieza was channeling a great deal of telekinetic force behind the Death Ball, which was gradually pushing Broly deeper into the planet's crust despite the titan's impressive physical strength. It all came down to mental power versus physical power right now.

Frieza gave a grunt of strain and whipped his head around the glare at Ais and Polarri "Damnit,I told you to get the aliens to the ship! Go now!" he snapped. The two Arcosians hastily nodded and dashed off, the Shamoians following quickly behind.

Slak gave a grunt and a new arm burst forth from the crushed stump Broly had left behind "We'll hold him off and keep him away from you, don't worry." he called to the fleeing group. Green juices ran off his freshly regenerated arm, which he quickly flicked off, before flying nto the air to join Frieza and Inyon.

Frieza was unafraid right now, from the moment he saw that Broly could feel pain like anyone else. This beast bled, and if it bled Frieza could kill it!

"D-damnit, Frieza you can't let that thing reach the core! It'll blow up the whole damn planet!" Inyon yelled, the struggle shaking the ground and kicking up a dust storm. By this stage, half the ki orb was buried halfway into the earth and continuing to sink.

"I don't...Plan...On blowing the planet up!" the Arcosian lord grunted out through grit teeth, his voice echoing against his bone faceplate. His red eyes glanced toward the fleeing crowd, and he estimated they were far enough away at this stage "I plan...on blowing him up!" Frieza snarled "Inyon, blast into the core of my Death Ball!"

Inyon decided it would be best not to argue with Frieza right now. She shot her arm out, and a beam of blue light from her palm breached the outer shell of the Death Ball. There was a white hot flash from the ensuing explosion that blinded the three warriors, and New Vegeta quaked from the ungodly power being unleashed.

Frieza just hoped it'd be enough to put Broly down.

* * *

Ever since Raichi had retrieved Cooler and began moulding him into a new creation he had dubbed Unit Alpha, he had sent probes to scour the galaxy and latch onto the Shatterstar.

To Raichi's surprise, another two Saiyans had captured Frieza and his crew, and what shocked him even further was that the ship they used was fast enough to cross an intergalactic distancein no time flat. Potentially very useful if he could get his hands on the tech and analyse it properly.

But for the time being,Raichi concerned himself with the destruction of the Saiyans, the prime directive the original had given him.

"Unit Alpha." he began, the mechanical facsimile of an Arcosian prince stood to attention, his red visor-shaped eye glowing viciously. "I'm dispatching you to the South Galaxy to get energy from the warriors in Frieza's company...and to kill his Saiyan accomplice if at all possible." he ordered.

A nod was all Raichi received in response despite Unit Alpha's abilities to talk. The modified Meta Cooler clanked off to a glowing white platform inside Raichi's fortress. A white orb of energy enveloped Unit Alpha and like a comet it launched him across the voice of space. While the orb propelled Alpha at massively FTL speeds, it would still take some time for him to reach the South Galaxy unfortunately.

On the plus side, by the time Alpha reached his destination there would be a victorious Saiyan to slay, and plenty of energy to draw out of that warrior.

* * *

When the dust cleared, Frieza's scarlet eyes widened at the sight of Broly standing at the heart of an expansive crater. He was hardly unharmed, his flesh covered by bruises and burns, his trousers in tatters and his gold bracelets cracked heavily from the battle. But he was very much alive,and very VERY angry looking.

The Legendary Super Saiyan's chest was heaving up and down from pain and fatigue, but he seemed to be gradually regaining his breath. To Frieza's shock and worry, the muscular mountain of a warrior's ki seemed to be replenishing itself, but for whatever reason this only made Broly's pain and discomfort grow "My ki is rising...It's overflowing!" Broly grunted out.

A green ki bubble expanded around Broly's wounded body, and he shot skyward, rising even further than Frieza and his allies. "What's he doing?!" Inyon growled, her whole body tensing up for battle.

The sky flashed different shades different shades of green and Broly's power started to fluctuate wildly, and then all of a sudden he started firing ki balls in all directions. They struck the ruined city, they blew apart the expansive forests, they flew into the black sky's above New Vegeta...Broly wasn't even aiming! It was as if he was just shooting wildly in an attempt to cause as much wanton destruction as possible.

Frieza saw several stray ki blasts heading toward the egg-ship. With lightning fast reflexes, Frieza raised one arm up and fired off a barrage of purple Death Beams, the thin beams quickly intercepting the green orbs and causing them to detonate before they could do any damage to Frieza's ticket off this disgusting ruined excuse for a planet.

Finally the bizarre, random bombardment came to an end, and broly breathed a small sigh of relief. Whatever had been plaguing him was out of his system, it would seem.

It was at that moment that a stark realisation came to Frieza in relation to the bizarre genetic defect that was unique to Broly. His ki seemed to constantly regenerate, but powerful as his body was it could only hold so much. Those huge muscles were the result of his ki surging and bulking his body up. He was like a balloon being constantly filled, if he let his energy build too high he'd burst...

...Or someone could pop him.

Thinking quickly on his rapidly forming plan, Frieza sent a telepathic message to Slak and Inyon _'I need you two to hold Broly off. I have a plan, but I'll need a little time to make sure the attack has just enough ki behind it.'_ he instructed.

His two allies made no indication that they'd actually heard the order, but then their auras flared up and the two rushed at the wounded Broly, giving roars for battle.

While Slak and Inyon rained down punches and kicks which were all dodged or blocked by Broly, Frieza raised his middle and index finger up. Red and gold ki started to build along his fingertips, rising up his hand to form the crackling energy sphere of a Nova Death Beam. With Broly's ki regeneration, Frieza had to channel a great deal of energy into this to guarantee it would pierce his hide, and he needed him distracted enough so that he could land the attack cleanly. If Broly got wise to Frieza's plan, then it would all be for nought.

He just had to hope Inyon and Slak could hold Broly off long enough for Frieza's plan to come to fruition.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter is the end of the Broly battle, and we're fast approaching Frieza's rematch with Goku on Earth. He just has one final hurdle to cross after Broly in order to get Goku.

So, first things first. We're pretty much on the cusp of 100 reviews, so thanks to all you awesome people who have given me your attention and your input. While it's not as popular as other AU fics (Such as BoD and Honor Trip), I still greatly appreciate all of you who come on by to read. Should I perhaps create a comedy special to celebrate the occasion? I was figuring something along the lines of 'Frieza reads DBM' or something like that, so lemme' know if you guys wanna' see that.

Now, onto reviewer questions.

Gokhan: Yes yes, Slak will unlock their potential soon enough. They're just a little bit...busy right now.

Kidbuussister: Probably not, no. Sorry to dissapoint you if you were hoping for that.

Rafael: Noooo, no no no no. I will NOT make Broly aything like the fanwanked jackass who appears in DBM. He was blown so completely out of proportion, completely fanboyed over by the writer, and took up WAY too much screentime alongside all of U16. This Broly is sticking soley in the realms of his Movie 8 power.

End of mini-rant. New chapter will be up soon, so feel free to review and leave any questions you may have.


	22. Potential Unlocked

Inyon swooped down at Broly's injured form, her fist colliding with his brow and causing his head to arch back a few inches. The giant hardly cared however, he gave a manic growl and slammed his monstrous fist into Inyon's abs, knocking all the wind out of the ebony Saiyaness and launching her across the grey skys of New Vegeta.

The giant Saiyan weaved his body to avoid a flaming chop from Slak, fully aware that his emerald fires could easily harm his inhuman frame. Broly's fist slammed into Slak's lower back and sent him hurtling to the ruined city beneath him, forming a deep crater on impact with the shattered concrete.

Not wasting a moment, Broly divebombed toward Slak and the Namekian shaman narrowly dodged a punch from the giant's deformed fists. Slak pulled one arm back, black lightning surging on his fingers, and promptly smashed his palm into Broly's abs.

The strange lightning burst from Slak's hands and coiled around the Legendary Saiyan's large body, causing Broly to howl and roar in pain as the black energy constricted his body in a sort of straight jacket.

But it lasted for a brief moment, as Broly flexed his green aura outward with such force that it smashed Slak away through a crumbling old wall.

Broly turned to see Inyon floating above him "You're goin' down Broccoli!" she spat, punching her open palm. Broly merely smirked and gestured for Inyon to come get him with a casual finger gesture.

* * *

Polarri scrambled through the seemingly endless storeys of the egg-ship that belonged to the late Paragus. It was huge, especially compared to the Shatterstar, and the Arcosian feared she'd never find the bridge. The constant explosions going on a short distance from the ship only served to fray her nerves and made navigation even more difficult.

When she finally did find the bridge, she found Midgyo scrambling about, checking every onitor and screen he could find. "Can you fly it?" the Arcosian girl asked, approaching the Litt.

Midgyo gave a small nod "Alone, a short distance. We'll need a bigger crew if we wanna keep it though." he replied. "Listen to this though, I checked through some of Paragus' personal files and found that in a few months a massive comet would collide with New Vegeta. Paragus knew this full well, but still set up camp...I wonder why..."

"Does it matter?" Polarri cut in, checking some of the bridge controls "We can check his stuff later, but now we need to be prepped to leave...I mean if...if Lord Frieza gets killed by that monster out there..." she said, worry evident in her tone.

Midgyo held one of her hands and shushed her "Easy, Frieza will pull through. No matter what, he always comes out on top in the end." he assured her. In truth though, this Broly creature was terribly strong...No, Midgyo had to remain confident right now. For her.

* * *

Broly's massive fist struck Inyon in the gut and sent her skidding several metres backward. She dug her heels into the earth and stopped her momentum, giving a low breath as he finally corrected herself "Ngh...Got damn...That's really starting to hurt." she growled, gritting her teeth in pain.

Broly gave a cackle and lunged forth, his massive hand gripping the top of Inyon's skull. The brute flew forth, grinding Inyon's skull into the concrete, splitting the earth beneath her. The ebony Saiyaness focused herself once more and raised both her hands up. Her hands glowed bright blue and she fired a massive beam of ki against Broly's stomach. The beam split against his flesh, Broly snarled in pain, and finallyhe dropped Inyon to the ground.

The Super Saiyan stumbled back, examining the smoking scorches on his chest that Inyon had left behind, and gave a grunt "Scum." he spat, kicking Inyon in the gut and knocking her across the ground.

Inyon's hair lost it's gold sheen and returned to it's red shades, falling before her face "Ngh...That's it...I can't fight anymore..." she grumbled.

Suddenly Broly pressed his gold boot to the back of Inyon's head and smashed her face into the hard ground with a small ammount of force "Tch...I had high hopes, you could've been pretty useful to me. Now you're just a waste of Saiyan blood who deserves to die." Broly spat.

Suddenly a beam of yellow light shot out from the shadows, skinning Broly's shoulder and drawing some blood from him. Broly grit his teeth and looked around frantically "Okay, who had the balls to do that?!"

His eyes settled on Slak, purple bruises and bloodstains marking his olive drab skin, a look of determination on his face. Broly gave an enraged roar and seemed to forget all about Inyon, he flew straight at Slak and threw a powerful fist. However, the second he touched Slak, the Namekian shaman burst into thick black smoke "What the..."

Before Broly could finish the sentence, a white boot struck him full force in the jaw and sent him hurtling through several crumbling buildings which wound up collapsing atop Broly.

Slak, the real one and not the illusion that Broly had struck, landed quietly and glared at the rising Saiyan. "Your rage has grown quite intense Broly. It's clouding your senses if you couldn't see through a flimsy illusion like that." the Namekian remarked. He dashed at Broly and then suddenly weaved around him, trying to move Broly away from Inyon's position and deeper into the ruined city.

Broly took chase and very quickly caught up with Slak, wrapping his large hands around the Namekian's skull, intent on crushing the brain matter out of the pesky slug.

All of a sudden though, Slak's arms stretched out like rubber, his palms digging into Broly's abdomen. Emerald fire burst from his palms, burning into the flesh of the Legendary Super Saiyan, making Broly snarl and screech in agony, quickly launching Slak at the ground to stop the burning. Slak smashed into the earth and left a deep crater, and through fading consciousness he watched Broly staring in shock at his sizzling, blackened blistering abdomen.

**"GRAH! I'LL KILL YOU ALL! I'LL TURN THIS WHOLE STINKING PLANET TO DUST!"** Broly roared, raising one arm up and forming a massive green ki ball in one hand. Seemed his rage had grown so far that he'd willingly doom his own life to kill his foes.

Slak gave a broken, tired laugh "Your rage...really is clouding your senses...You moron." he mocked. Broly raised a brow, not sure what the wounded Namekian meant by that remark, until he felt something pressing into the small of his back, something burning hot.

"Surprise..." Frieza growled, before firing his fully charged Nova Death Beam through Broly's stomach, leaving a fist sized hole through Broly's chest. Broly gave a primal scream that seemed to stretch on for infinity. His whole body glowed with ki, light radiating from hi solid white eyes, and some unseen force seemed to lift Broly into the sky. With a powerful, ear-splitting shriek, Broly was enveloped by a potent explosion.

Frieza breathed a low sigh of relief as fatigue started to wash over his body. For a moment he thought Broly had ben completely blown apart, until he saw a withered body fall from the smoke and crash into a grey mesa.

Wordlessly, the Arcosian landed beside Broly and glared at him. he was in his base form now, a gaping wound in his torso...Miraculously though he lived. As withered as a skeleton, covered in vile burns and bruises and almost entirely devoid of energy, but alive. He gave an angered, weak growl, and glared up at Frieza. He tried to say something, but no words would form.

"You're strong, extremely so. Leaving you alive makes you too much of a threat however. You've already survived against seemingly impossible odds, and there's still a slim chance you could live through this. I can't risk that." Frieza said, extending one arm out. A wide beam of violet ki shot from his palm, enveloping the half dead Broly and rendering him fully dead, leaving nought but a scorch where the Legendary Super Saiyan had once been.

The Super Arcosian stood in silence for a few moments, letting the wind of New Vegeta blow in his ears. His body gradually shrunk in size and his spikes faded back into the slender frame of his fourth form. "I wonder...Is Goku as strong as you right now?" Frieza mumbled to himself.

Growing tired of these surroundings, he gathered Inyon and Slak up with his telekinesis, carrying them back to the egg-ship, finding the med-bay quickly enough and setting them in two large medicine machines. His own injuries could wait to be tended, for now Frieza focused on finding Midgyo and quickly enough he reached the bridge of the ship.

"Can you fly it?" he asked. Midgyo gave a nod in response "To the Shamoian homeworld, but we'll need a large crew to man everything else. I'll also need time to unlock all of Paragus' systems." he explained. "Have you...named the ship by any chance?"

Frieza hummed in thought and rubbed his chin "I suppose...The Snow King makes for a good name, wouldn't you agree? In honour of my ancestor Fuyu, the first Super Arcosian."

Polarri gave a grin and a nod "Wonderful choice my lord."

Midgyo also gave a nod "The Snow King it is. Prepare for our first flight!" Midgyo said, scowering the control panel. He pressed a few switches and suddenly the Snow King rumbled and rose, before rapidly blasting off into space, rapidly flying to the Shamoian homeworld.

* * *

Frieza and his crew had spent a few months on the Shamoian planet, time spent with Midgyo trying to access all the systems on the Snow King with the aid of Ais and Polarri. With nothing much else to do, Frieza, Inyon and Slak had spent the majority of their time either training or aiding the stumpy natives in the restoration of their homes. It actually felt...nice to receive their gratitude.

Frieza and Inyon had also, of course, had their potential unlocked by Slak and the boost had been hefty indeed. Frieza felt he could have handily beaten Broly alone with his new power. It also had a neat little side effect in that Frieza could now draw upon all the power of his fourth form without having to bulk his muscles up.

Inyon had also worked on pushing the limits of her Super Saiyan form, seeing how heavily she relied on it now. In the few months after Broly's defeat, the Saiyaness had found a way to utilise the form without the usual physical strain, and now even walked around as a Super Saiyan without showing a hint of the anger or grim determination normally associated with the form.

Slak's training had been different. Rather than try draw out physical power, he seemed to always meditate to draw out some sort of mental and spiritual strength. He sparred with his comrades, of course, and he had grown a bit stronger than before.

Today however, Frieza was simply relaxing beneath the shade of a mushroom-shaped tree. The natural beauty of this planet was quite admirable, and with the ecosystem returning to it's former glory with each passing day, it would soon become a paradise to any individual with a love for nature in their heart.

Frieza lazily popped one eye open once he heard the sound of grass crunching underfoot, and found a small group of Shamoians approach him."Ah, Mister Frieza, sir...My people just wanted to thank you for all that you've done for us." one female said.

"Think nothing of it." Frieza replied, sitting up fully.

The female coughed into her fist "well it's just that...My people wanted to find some way to reward you. We don't have much, but several of us offered to work on your ship. When we were slaves we were taught how to use all the machinery on it, so we'd be a real big help if you let us join!" she said, giving a smile.

Frieza scratched his chin at the offer...Well, Midgyo was always whining about needing a crew for a ship as big as the Snow King. "Very well." Frieza replied, standing up full "I accept your offer." he added, shaking the small Shamoian girls hand.

Frieza gave a small smile and walked off, hearing their small cheers as he moved into the small town he had helped rebuild.

The Arcosian soon stumbled upon Slak and the Shamoian elder, the one with the flowing white beard from before, deep in conversation. Slak looked up "Ah. Hello Frieza." the Namekian Shaman remarked, smiling warmly at him.

"Hey. What're you two speaking about?" Frieza asked, taking a seat on a small wall by the two.

"Vesik and I were just talking about the planet's future protection. I have offered to serve as their planet's guardian after I have seen your own journey to it's completion." Slak explained, gesturing at the elderly Shamoian.

Vesik gave a nod "Aye, it's a major threat we face. We are not warriors as you can plainly see, and who's to say another beast like Broly won't come to our home again?" the elder asked "We need some sort of powerful outsider with a kind heart, who would willingly protect our planet and people." he explained, giving a low weary sigh.

"I see." Frieza murmured "Very well Slak, if that is your wish then I will have the Snow King drop you back here once I handle my affairs on Earth. Soon enough, I promise." he said.

Slak gave a nod and smiled warmly at Frieza, before turning his gaze to the cloudy sky above. For the time being it all seemed so tranquil, such a beautiful world that had been ravaged by horrors such a short time ago.

The Namekian tensed suddenly, causing Frieza to raise a brow up. Curosity overtaking him, Frieza also glanced to the sky and also noted something odd. The sky was darkening, for some reason. Inyon approached from around the corner then, her hair spiked and golden and a grin on her face "Sup nerds?" she asked, hands resting on her hips.

Seeing their expressions, Inyon also glanced to the sky and noted something odd "Hey is it getting dark? Is it night time already?" the ebony Saiyaness asked, glancing back at her allies.

Suddenly the sky went from black to a bright orange shade, a...meteor of some sort bursting through the clouds and swooping over the small Shamoian village. The villagers shrieked and ran for cover inside their small huts, while Frieza exchanged worried glances with his two allies. "Never a dull moment!" Inyon said giddily, dashing off to the small forest which bordered on the Shamoian town.

Frieza gave Slak a deadpan glance and then flew off side-by-side with the Namekian Shaman, heading to the smouldering crater that had formed within the forest.

The trio descended and landed on the sloped earth that the comet's impact had created, and their gazes became transfixed on the smoke flowing from the massive dent in the planets crust.

Gradually however the smoke began to clear, and a figure slowly came into focus. Frieza's eyes widened in shock and he took a slow step back. That...thing in there, that was a Meta Cooler alright. A heavily modified version, but the former tyrant easily recognised the features such as the shiny armour and the physical build similar to that of his late sibling.

But there were the obvious differences. The cyclopic, glaring red eye, those strange grafts on his forearms that looked akin to blasters,those green gems studded on it's body and the strange patterns engraved on it's purple shell.

Unit Alpha didn't even seem to notice Frieza however. It's gaze settled on Inyon, and it quickly entered into a fighting stance "Attention Saiyan Scum. Die."

* * *

A/N: Coming up next, a one-shapter brawl against Unit Alpha, the former remnant of Cooler. Will they be able to free Cooler from the mechanical straight jacket that Raichi has bonded him too? And what of Frieza's wishes on New Namek, what will come of them? Just wait and see my little birds.

Now then, answering some review questions and comments.

Valinar: Shhhhhh~ That would be telling.

Aleaster: Hehe, I usually switch between his Kai voice and LittleKuriboh's dub of the character whenever I read out his dialogue in this.

Holly: Nuh uh, nope, I don't buy that for a single second. I always maintain that Broly is marginally weaker than Perfect Cell, let alone Super Perfect Cell. Assuming his strength did grow like that, it would take several years for him to even grow to Super Perfect Cell's level. At best, after 20 years, I'd say the guy would be around Skinny Buu's level. Now consider the massive gap between skinny Buu and Buuhan, and the massive gap between SSJ1 Vegito and Buuhan. No way in hell would Broly ever grow close to that level in the span of 20 years.

No no my dear, trust me, Salagir just wanks Broly at any opportunity and will make every character insignificant to his little pet characters of Broly, Vegito and Bra at every single opportunity he gets.

Yeah, as you can probably tell, I only really like DBM for it's art and not for it's story. But with the departure of Gogeta Jr, we'll see how long that actually lasts.

Onward to the next chapter!


	23. Climb or Die

There was a tense moment of silence as Unit Alpha entered it's fighting stance, staring down Inyon and Inyon alone. He dashed forth and buried his fist into the Saiyaness' gut, the force causing her eyes to bulge from her skull and a strangled gasp of agony escaping her lips. Alpha's knee shot up into Inyon's chin then, sending her soaring into the sky.

Frieza quickly shot a hand forth and struck Alpha with a telekinetic blast which carved a deep trench in the forest and uprooted the trees. Unit Alpha tumbled a few times from the strike, but very quickly righted himself and fired a searing hot beam from his singular eye which was only narrowly avoided by the former tyrant "Brother! Speak to me!" Frieza roared, outraged and confused by Cooler's return.

He recieved no answer.

Suddenly a beam of golden light shot down from the heavens, the explosion consuming Alpha quickly enough and forming a deeper crater in the earth. Inyon slowly decended, smoke billowing off her hands "I hate machines. No energy to detect." she mumbled.

The smoke began to clear, and Alpha casually walked from the battle damaged crater. He had only a few black scorches on his chest from the blast, and for whatever reason the lime green gems on is body were glowing slightly. "Hrm. Did anyone else sense that?" Slak asked, tossing his weighted gear behind him. The others entered their fighting stances, but their silence was all the answer that the Shaman needed "There was a small...flicker of ki from those gems. Gone as quick as it came though."

Inyon tense, then suddenly she swerved to avoid a purple Death beam fired by the mechanical menace, and she promptly struck back with golden hand blast. Alpha raised one arm up and the ki bolt seemed to just get...sucked into the gem, the force of the attack only leaving some small burns on Alpha's ornate metal skin!

He dashed straight at Inyon and their fists struck each other, shaking the earth and reducing the surrounding trees to splinters with the inhuman power of their attacks. Frieza quickly transformed and hammered his fist into Alpha's gut, sending him skidding backward, then Slak swooped in and struck Alpha with a mighty uppercut, creating a small sonic boom and sending Alpha high into the air.

"Did anyone else feel a little bit weaker after punching him?" Frieza asked, watching Alpha correcting himself from his mid-air tumbling.

"He's absorbing our ki. From our energy blasts and from our aura's when we physically strike him." Slak explained, a small lime tint glowing from his pupils, focusing his ki-sensing abilities. "We have to put him down quickly or he may well suck us dry."

"Something's not right though." Frieza murmured "He's too silent to be Cooler...Someone's done...Something to him, I dont know what though. We need to try and cripple this shell so he can't harm us, then we figure out what's up with his mind." Frieza explained. His eyes widened as he saw Alpha raise a finger up, forming a Supernova in the sky above which darkened the sky.

"We better do it fucking quickly then!" Inyon yelled, raising both her toned ebony arms high above her head and forming a white and blue ki orb between her hands.

* * *

_Cooler's eyes opened slowly, and he found his fingers digging into a white column that seemed to stretch so high skyward that he couldn't even see the end of it. All that remained above him was a glowing golden portal, fluffy heavenly clouds swirling lazily around the strange circular portal._

_"Where..." Cooler murmured. He tightnened his grips in the column and looked beneath him, seeing an eternal void as black as night which looked as if it were swallowing the column below him._

_A voice from nowhere, whether it was familiar or not Cooler could not tell, echoed in his mind 'Climb or die.' as soft as a whisper._

_Cooler weighed the offer for a few moments, then started climbing, gradually scaling the white pillar. For whatever reason, he couldn't tap into his ki. He couldn't fly. He couldn't move with any superhuman degree of speed. He couldn't even throw himself up with superhuman strength._

_Right now he couldn't recall why he was here, but he knew...someone had put him here. Their motives were blurred to him but Cooler suppose those things did not matter in this particular moment in time. Someone had sunk him in this strange pit, and it was only here and now that he found the willpower to regain some degree of his consciousness. He had his choices, climb or die, and right now those were the only things that mattered to the former ruler. Climb or die. Climb. Or. Die._

_He kept moving, hand over hand, yet his destination seemed to get no closer. His fingers began to bleed, his knuckles started to grow a darker shade from the strain. But the first born son of King Cold was no quitter. His whole life was a strain but he never gave in then. Death would not claim him he had decided that much, he would be free!_

_Climb or die._

* * *

"UEHAHAHA! This is glorious!" the Raichi AI yelled, his mismatched eyes scanning from his video monitor which displayed the brawl between Unit Alpha and Frieza's crew, and then switching back to his various instruments.

"Hatchiyack's power is already at 89% and growing! At this rate those fools will discharge enough ki to power up all of the Dark Planet's reserve generators." he remarked, stroking his spectral moustache. He turned his mismatched eyes back to watch the explosive beam struggle between Unit Alpha and Frieza's crew.

* * *

Frieza gave a snarl as his red ki beam seemed to merge with Slak's gold one and Inyon's blue and white blast, the trio of ki beams locked in a deadlocked struggle against Unit Alpha's golden supernova.

"Guh...All we're doing is providing him more ki to absorb!" Frieza snarled, the earth shaking from the clash of their energy beams. Even now he could see stray whisps of ki being sucked away from the trio of energy beams, and he could also feel portions of his aura being sucked into those blasted lime green gems on Alpha's metal shell.

"We need to give it everything! Burst through the Supernova while we still have the ki to do it!" Inyon grunted. The earth shook beneath them as the Supernova pushed forth a few inches, and the heat radiating off it caused the skins of the three allies to sizzle slightly, burns beginning to form on their bodies. "Agh...Shit!" Inyon said, grunting and wincing as her dark skin was slowly cooked by the blazing ball of energy.

"Everyone, attack together, give it everything!" Slak roared. The trio yelled in unison as massive surges ran up each of their ki beams. The trio merged into one rainbow-coloured typhoon of power. In one mighty burst, the blast cleaved through the supernova.

It struck Unit Alpha, and there was a loud mechanical shriek as the mechanical monster was carried across the skyline by the blast.

The beam struck a distant mountain which exploded in an instant, vaporising half of it from the awe inspiring combined power of the trinity's attack. Smoke rose into the sky which was slowly returning to it's normal hue, and for a moment the shattered mountain looked almost like an ancient volcano.

The trio breathed a collective sigh of relief, taking a moment to catch their breath "Despite the brevity of all that...I feel drained." Slak grunted, the burns on his olive drab skin slowly healing.

Frieza tensed and looked to the mountain "Come on. We need to retrieve my brother. Stubborn bastard wouldn't even die from that..."

* * *

Raichi gave a low sigh as he scanned the damage reports on Unit Alpha's body "Arms shattered, one leg completely vaporised, tail torn in half." he muttered, giving small tuts and tsks as he read through all the damage that had been registered.

"But perhaps worst of all, he's lost his power-absorbing gems. He's of no use now I suppose." Raichi said, glancing over to Hatchiyack. "Still, he surved his purpose. You're now at 100% my boy, and Unit Alpha sucked up just enough energy to provide power to two of my reserve generators."

Hatchiyack gave a smirk and a happy snarl, punching his open palm. Raichi chuckled before turning to his control panel "Well, may as well shut him down." Raichi mused, pressing a small blue button on the dark computer bank.

* * *

_Cooler didn't know how long he'd been climbing for. His time sense seems to constantly be accelerating or retarding. He felt as it moving from one hand hold to another took 5 months at times, and other times it seemed as if he could cross 2 dozen miles in the span of five seconds._

_Sometimes that golden circle in the sky looked so close that he could just about reach out and touch it...sometimes it felt as if it was at the other end of the universe. It seemed he'd never reach his goal and get his freedom._

_He hated this, hated it beyond words and beyond description. He vowed he'd change his ways if he'd just be let free from this hell! He'd never live the life of a tyrant and enslave others again, not after he was rendered the slave of a machine._

_He just wanted to be out of here, he wanted to see a familiar face again. Please._

_After what felt like a solid decade of climbing, there was a rumbling that ran up the length of the pillar. He looked down swiftly at the black void that was always at the bottom of the pillar, and Cooler's eyes quickly widened when he saw the darkness growing higher and higher, swallowing the column into it's inky blackness and growing ever closer. The threat to Cooler's soul was very real now, and it seemed to snap his time sense back to reality. He could only focus on one thing now, the one thing that had existed in his mind through the solid eternity of climbing._

_Climb or die._

_He ascended and ascended, scaling the column and drawing ever closer to the golden portal. It seemed to stop moving now, it would so close he just had to keep outrunning the darkness._

_The three digits of each of his feet dug into the foot holds beneath him, and he quickly pushed himself up with as much force as he could muster. He shot one arm up, reaching out to the golden light._

* * *

Unit Alpha...No, Cooler, sat up abruptly with a sharp gasp. Frieza and his allies jumped back in shock, all three entering fighting stances out of worry. "Where..." he grunted. Suddenly he winced in pain, feeling completely crippled. Because he was, of course. Shattered arms and missing a whole leg. Luckily he was an Arcosian.

"Brother? Is that really you?" Frieza asked, crouching beside his sibling and gazing into that red cyclopic eye that had been forced into his skull by Raichi.

"F-Frieza...?" Cooler asked, wincing as electricity arced from the cracks in his metal shell. "Where are we? The last I recall I...Something about the Big Gete Star." he murmured. "I feel like I've been...Stuck in a mechanical straightjacket this past year, my mind being dictated by computers. I can see everything so clearly now though...I realise exactly how much I've wasted my time as an organic being, a life of cruelty."

Frieza crouched and placed a hand on one of Cooler's scorched shoulders "Brother..." he said softly, recalling his own spiritual journey "You're safe now, with me. Come, I'll take you to the Fuyu and we'll get you patched up." Frieza replied. He, obviously, couldn't read any sort of facial expression off his elder siblings face...If he could he'd see how crestfallen Cooler was to realise he was still in a mechanical shell.

He hoisted the shattered shell of his brother into a telekinetic bubble an flew back to the Snow King with him. Slak flew by their side, and Inyon reluctantly followed after.

* * *

A few days passed in which Cooler's body was repaired. In that span, the two brothers exchanged their stories and gradually rekindled their brotherly relationship. With no empire and no father to fuel them, they had no rivalry anymore. Nothing to compete over. Frieza had told his older sibling of his plan to use the Namekian dragon balls three wishes, but stated he only had ideas for two wishes. He went on then to speak of his plans to head to Earth.

Cooler, for his part, had decided to teach Frieza the instant transmission technique and his natural ki sensing as best he could. They were things the Big Gete star had implanted in his head and he hadn't been mentored properly. Still, Frieza had a thin grasp on the technique, it'd do well enough for now.

When the Snow King reached New Namek, they found the Namekians had been kind enough to gather all the spheres in preparation for Frieza's arrival. Well, Moori had been kind enough, many other Namekians would rather not bother with helping Frieza at all.

Moori spoke in incomprehensible Namekian, and the dragon balls began to glow. A column of light burst forth, and Frieza's allies, except for Slak, were stunned speechless at the muscular form of Porunga looming over them. "So that is the Dragon of Dreams. Mighty Porunga who bestowed his strength in the most ancient of Namekians..." Slak mumbled to himself.

"Frieza, what is your first wish?" the elder called back. Frieza had told his brother that the wishes had to be made in Namekian, so asking for things like immortality were off the table.

Frieza placed his hands on his hips and calmly spoke "Ask Porunga to bring back the planet Arcos with all it's cities and services as they were before the destruction of the planet." Frieza said. Moori translated Frieza's request, and there was a moment of silence. Porunga moved his hands and made an 'Okay' gesture, his eyes flashing as he fulfilled the wish.

"Excellent!" Frieza said excitedly, clenching both his fists in excitement. "Now, ask Porunga if he can restore the Arcosian population and Arcosian military who were killed in Kanchapp's coup?" he asked. Another long silence before Porunga made the same gesture and his eyes glowed.

"I can...I can sense them all!" Cooler exclaimed, his singular red eye scanning the heavens. There might be a few out in space, but they could survive there more than long enough to receive pick-up.

"Alright, for your final wish?" Moori asked, looking toward Frieza.

The former Arcosian tyrant stroked his chin deep in thought. He'd put in a little thought but, he only really had one idea. He glanced to Cooler, his mechanical shell glinting in the energy discharge. Frieza glanced back to Moori and asked "Can Porunga convert my brother's body into an organic one, similar to the one he had before heading to Earth?" he asked. His brother looked over in, what Frieza assumed to be, complete and utter shock.

There was a moment of silence, before Moori glanced back toward Frieza "This wish is particularly taxing, especially after the last two. Porunga can't make this organic body as powerful as his mechanical one, as a result." Cooler simply gave a nod in response. He didn't care about power, he just wanted to be able to feel.

Porunga raised his massive scaley hand and made the same gesture again. A glow enveloped the metal shell Cooler had been lodged into, and in a flash he was returned to his fourth form, the purple flesh with ivory armoured parts. Cooler was stronger than he had been in his original organic body, perhaps a little weaker than Broly had been in his Legendary Super Saiyan form by Frieza's estimation.

He clenched his fists slowly, a look of awe on his face...He turned to his brother and pulled him in, hugging him as his thanks. Frieza couldn't even recall the last time his brother hugged him.

"What will you do now, brother?" Frieza asked "Accompany me to Earth?" he asked, looking up at his taller sibling when he stepped back.

Cooler gave a low sigh and shook his head "Sorry. Not just yet little brother, one of us has to go to Arcos and try to restore a degree of order. I will join you on earth soon enough." he explained. Frieza gave a nod in response.

Porunga vanished back into the dragon balls, which spun high into the air and shot across the surface of New Namek. Gradually, the sky regained it's green shade.

"You are the rightful heir, so it should be you. Just recall everything that led to our planets destruction in the first place. We cannot rule that way ever again." Frieza warned, earning another nod from Cooler. He pressed his index and middle finger to his brow, scanned the heavens, and in a flash the lanky Arcosian vanished into thin air.

Frieza turned to Moori "Thank you, for all of this." he said curtly "Maybe we will never be friends, but I hope we are no longer enemies." Frieza said.

Moori grinned slightly "Think nothing of it. It is...odd for me to be helping you after the past, but you have made up for your crimes against the Namekian people." the elder remarked. "Now go, be at peace."

An interesting notion, but not one Frieza could follow right now. Slak glanced to his ally, his green arms folded over his chest "Heading to Earth now?" he asked. In truth, the Shaman knew full well what Frieza had planned...and he knew full well that in the end, Frieza's growth and maturity as a person would lead to a fine resolution.

Frieza clenched his fists "Yes. It's time we head to Earth...I will have my revenge on Son Goku!"

* * *

**A/N: Next time, the rematch begins!**

First though, some review questions I should answer.

Rafael: I believe I've already explained both of these points in the past. Cooler's fourth form was marginally weaker than Frieza's own when he was on Namek, and his fifth form was only a bit above Frieza at 100% on Namek. He lost to Goku because he was heavily fatigued and wounded from his battle with Trunks, and Goku had a whole year to get stronger from his battle with Frieza.

On the matter of power levels I, like Toriyama, have pretty much dropped them at this stage. Just compare him to Cell Saga Goku and you're on the right track.

Foolsgil: Slak's knowledge of Namek and New Namek is...loose at best. He knows the original planet was destroyed by Frieza, and he knew Frieza saved New Namek from Meta as to who he fought, he knows only rumors that Frieza fought a Super Saiyan. Plus he has faith that Frieza will restrain himself.


	24. Clash

The Earth was an oddly beautiful planet Frieza thought to himself, staring down at the blue and green blanet while standing on the tip of the Snow King which was flying ever closer to it's target. He wondered if Goku was still alive down there or if someone had managed to do him in. That weakling Vegeta would most likely try as much. Frieza doubted that he'd ever succeed there.

The small Arcosian shut his eyes softly, the silence of the spatial void surrounding him sinking in fully. It would allow him to detect energy with much greater focus, no noises to distract him. He'd been practicing this whole 'energy sensing' thing for the past while but, of course, he was still far from good at it. Still by this point he was able to detect the difference in Saiyan ki against that of other species' like Arcosians and Namekians.

Scanning over the earth with his mind, he detected two Saiyan ki signatures. One was stronger than the other, so Frieza assumed it was Goku and that half-breed mongrel son of his. Well, he'd handle him if he tried to interfere in the battle, that or Inyon would. She was itching for a proper fight ever since battling Alpha.

He sent a quick telepathic message to Midgyo, which the Litt would in turn pass to the Shamoian crew aboard the Snow King _'Set us in for a landing by those large ki signatures in the mountains.'_ Frieza explained, trying to send Midgyo coordinates which he could pinpoint with the ships in-built scouters.

* * *

The lush green fields around Goku's Mount Paozu home were so lovely to see. While Krillin preferred the conveniences of city life, he could still lay back in the green grass with Goku and Gohan to watch the puffy white clouds drift overhead. The bald monk had changed into a navy t-shirt and cream shorts, seeing no point in his usual orange gi if he was spending his day off from training and trying to master that new Kaioken Tien was creating.

Krillin glanced toward Goku and Gohan, both in their Full-Powered Super Saiyan form, lazing about so freely _'I suppose Goku hasn't changed that much...On the inside at least.'_ Krillin thought to himself. Goku, currently dressed in an orange football jacket and tan slacks, claimed Cell was strong enough to beat him in the ground, but he was just so...aloof about it, and had done very little training in the ten day wait for the Cell Games. What was his trump card?

He watched as a butterfly fluttered in and landed on the tip of the sleeping Saiyan's nose, batting it's wings slightly once it settled. _'Look at them...Super Saiyan even when they sleep! This must be part of Goku's secret training!'_ Krillin thought to himself. The butterfly quietly fluttered back into the forest.

He spied a rock beside him and gave a small snicker, lifting it up and testing it's weight _'I bet he can sense what's going on for miles! Which means if I chuck this rock at him, he'll blast it to bits without even opening his eyes!'_ he gave another snicker and thought on how cool it'd be, an then he tossed it at Goku's forehead.

The result was...far from spectacular. It clonked Goku in the forehead, making the Saiyan yowl in pain and spring into a sitting position "AGH! What'd you do that for?!" he yelled, rubbing his brow in annoyance "Darn it, if that's your idea of a joke, you've lost your mind!" Goku yelled.

Before Krillin could stammer out an explanation, all three suddenly tensed "Do...do you guys...Oh please tell me you guys don't sense that too?" Krillin pleaded, looking to the large black shape slowly descending from the heavens.

"Frieza." Goku said solemnly, his face growing stern. He was stronger now, to be sure...But by just how much, Goku couldn't say.

The hulking egg ship lazily drifted across the lake Goku and the others had settled down on the banks of, and then landed across the lake. That was when Goku saw his old foe standing atop the ship. Not smirking like normal, right now he wore a face of grim determination.

Wordlessly, Frieza floated off the cone of the egg ship and touched the lake, making the tiniest of ripples as he casually walked across the surface of the water. He could see Gohan and Krillin entering into fighting stances, but Frieza never broke eye contact with Goku. There was a flash and Frieza's aura flashed red. His whole body glowed white and he morphed into his fifth form, much to the shock of the trio.

In a flash, Frieza had crossed the distance and smashed Goku in the cheek, launching him over a dozen metres away before Goku corrected himself. Frieza clashed with him, rending the earth from the combined force of their collision, both of them struggling against each other. Now that Goku had his wits about him, he seemed equal to the Arcosian in his super form. He glanced to his son and best friend who were about to jup into action, and Goku loudly yelled out "Keep back, this is a fight I have to handle!", stopping the two.

He headbutted Frieza and sent him skidding, the once green grass being mulched by his feet. "Why are you back here?" Goku asked, rubbing his cheek slowly from the pain.

"To prove my strength." Frieza replied, crossing his muscular arms over his chest "I have come a long way to prove my superiority to you once and for all. Surely you saw this coming?" he asked "After all, you're the one who ensured my survival."

Goku gave a snarl and lunged straight at Frieza, both of their elbows colliding and creating a powerful shockwave which left a deep dent in the ground beneath them. Goku ducked under one punch and delivered several rapid palm strikes to Frieza's chest, marking him with small pruple welts.

Frieza gave a snarl and smashed his knuckles against Goku's nose, sending the normally kind hearted Saiyan soaring across the landscape, crashing through two large boulders which shattered into nothing on impact. Finally, Goku skidded to a halt, briefly checking the tears in his baseball jacket "Aw man...Chi Chi's gonna kill me over this, it's the fourth jacket I've torn up this month."

* * *

Inyon and Slak had stepped off the boarding ramp of the Snow King, acting as guards for Midgyo and the two Arcosian woman as they moved across the lake to get a better view of the action "Phew, Lord Frieza's really not pulling his punches. Sup shorties?" Inyon asked, landing behind the two.

Krillin and Gohan stared at this ebony-skinned Super Saiyan in shock, surprised to see a female Saiyan and to see one in the service of Frieza. "You...are aware that Frieza is the one who nearly wiped out your race, right?" Gohan asked.

Inyon shrugged "Yeah sure, buuuuuut I still hate King Vegeta more since he's the D-bag who left me stuck on a hellish planet for over twenty years. Plus he's not so bad, he's been saving lots of people across the Galaxy." Inyon remarked, giving a toothy grin as she watched the clash escalating in speed and ferocity, massive shockwaves in the distance sending tremors under Inyon's feet.

"Indeed, Frieza has atoned for many crimes. Worry not, I have seen the depths of his soul and know full well how this battle will end." Slak said, watching as the distant impacts shattered a hill to dust which was scattered to the wind."

"A...Namekian is working wit Frieza too?" Krillin asked, visibly dumbstruck.

* * *

A strong elbow to the face broke Frieza's bone mask clean in half and sent him soaring into the rocky ground. The former tyrant corrected himself and flipped backward a few times before skidding to a halt and glaring up at Goku "Hmph, fair to say you've improved a fair bit too." he remarked, spitting on the dirt. As their battle grew more and more ferocious, it pushed them away from the lush forests and deeper into a grey rocky land, devoid of any life aside from the odd bit of fungi.

Goku gave a huff of breath and flung the torn up remnants of his baseball jacket behind him, the strong winds sending it sailing away. His white t-shirt had it's share of rips and burns, but it could stay for now. "You've picked a bad time to come to Earth." Goku said sternly "We have bigger threats to deal with, a monster more powerful than both of us combined."

Frieza gave an irritated scoff "Trying to distract me with flights of fancy won't help you." he replied. In truth though, he had detected one strange ki signature when they were approaching Earth. He had tuned it out mostly, but whatever it was it had bits of Saiyan, Arcosian and Namekian inside it.

Frieza shot one arm forth and blasted a potent beam of ki at Goku, which he quickly backhanded away and winced once he felt a burn from the blast on his hand.

Frieza flung imself at his foe, wanting to smash Goku in the gut with his shoulder. But the loopy Saiyan adjusted himself in the air and swung a kick at Frieza's temple. The blow hit and dazed Frieza, the sheer strength behind the blow shattering one of his fifth form's ebony horns and leaving it to tumble down to the rocky ground.

Frieza was knocked back several inches but managed to halt himself and blocked another kick from Goku. He lunged and swung his alien foot up, smashing the Super Saiyan in the ribs with his heel. Goku gave a grunt but managed to catch Frieza's foot and held it formly in place despite the Arcosian's struggling. He swung Frieza by the foot and then released him sending him crashing into a jutting outcrop which collapsed atop him.

Frieza burst up from the rock pile, only to be sent staggering back by several rapid punches to the torso, and was promptly kicked up into the air by one of Goku's powerful feet. Frieza ducked under an incoming punch from Goku and then smashed his ivory fist straight into the Super Saiyan's diaphragm. Goku coughed and gagged and retched from the pain, while Frieza took advantage of his foe's stunning and lashed his tail out like a whip, letting it coil around Goku's exposed neck to hold him in place.

"There was something rather...humiliating you did to me on Namek, but I can't quite recall." Frieza remarked calmly, while Goku was struggling for breath "Oh. Now I remember." he added, pulling one arm back "YOU SLAPPED SOME SENSE INTO ME, RIGHT?!" he yelled, smashing Goku across the face with the back of his hand. His hand moved like a blur, smashing Goku in the face with the palm and back of his hand repeatedly, sending sprays of spittle and blood into the air.

Goku was seeing stars, getting dizzy from both the strikes to the face and his gradually decreasing air supply. He had to act quickly or he was done for!

Goku pushed one hand forth and formed a ball of white ki in his palm before launching the strong ki beam against Frieza's stomach, and the tyrant howled from the pain which forced him to release Goku from the grip of his tail. The Super Saiyan shot out like a rocked and buried his heel into Frieza's face, shattering the other half of Frieza's bone mask and sending him soaring over a dozen metres away.

He corrected himself quickly and whipped the incoming Goku in the ribs with his tail, smashing Goku down into the earth. The Arcosian lord divebombed downward and buried both fists into his chest. He flew down, tunnelling into the ground and brawling with Goku all the way down.

The force of their unseen blows caused large chunks of rock to fly upward, and the tremors of their might shattered the grey rocky ground above them. Finally there was a golden flash visible through the cracks, followed by a mighty explosion which sent Frieza tumbling upward several dozen metres before he corrected himself "Ghkt...Lucky blast." he spat.

The darkness of the crater Goku was still in was glowing a pale blue hue, and he could see the outline of Goku being illuminated by a Kamehameha wave. "Hehe, this technique eh...Alright, let's see how strong you really are now!" Frieza yelled, raising both hands above his head and forming the crackling purple orb of his Cataclysm Strike. Smaller in size, but more concentrated than the massive version he used during Arcos' destruction.

* * *

When Gohan, Krillin and Frieza's new allies moved closer to get a better view of the fighting, they had been joined by Piccolo, Yamcha and Tien who had sensed the output of power from miles away. Because of the vast nature of their power, Tien forbade Chiaotzu from following him out here.

"I knew he shouldn't have left Frieza alive, now he's stronger than ever." Piccolo grunted out, surveying the two ki blasts being prepared by the two warriors. He was curious about the Saiyan and the Namekian who had sided with Frieza, but those were questions for later. Still, the way that Namekian looked at him...it felt as if he was looking through Piccolo, staring into his soul and into his mind, like a probing needle.

"You faced Goku before and he gave you mercy, Demon King. As he did against this figure you all know as 'Vegeta.' I do not see why you would think Goku would not show Frieza mercy." Slak remarked. Piccolo stepped back in complete and utter shock.

"How...how did you know about my past?" Piccolo asked, clenching his fists.

"You and your friends shared a mutual shock at the sight of Frieza, lowering your mental defences. Thus I read your mind, and your memories." Slak remarked. "Perhaps a violation of privacy, but I needed to be sure you were all of heroic nature."

Yamcha seemed to ignore the exchange, dumbstruck by the sheer onslaught of power from Goku and Frieza which shook the rocky earth even from this distance. The ki blasts struck and seemed deadlocked, and the flashes of light forced Yamcha to cover his eyes for a brief moments.

"This fight is pretty kick ass, eh scars?" Inyon asked, lazily floating behind Yamcha and placing her hands on his shoulders. Yamcha tensed and looked up at the frightening, yet beautiful dark-skinned Saiyaness "What's your name?" Inyon asked, grinning.

"Y-Yamcha..." he replied, blinking up at her.

"Psh. Well that's a dumb name." Inyon said, seeming to ignore the wicked winds being whipped up by the world-shaking power behind the clashing ki blasts. "I'm Inyon." she added.

Yamcha gave a nervous laugh "And you said my name is dumb?" he asked teasingly.

Inyon gave a wicked grin in response.

* * *

"Ngh...His power is immense...What kind of training as he gone through?" Goku asked aloud, wincing as his Kamehameha was pushed back a few more inches, digging his heels against the cracking rock. Another shockwave burst from the beam struggle, shattering nearby boulders to dust and spreading more cracks along the grey rocky ground.

"I won't lose to you, do you hear me?!" Frieza yelled amongst the cacophony of explosions shattering the planet beneath them. He pushed the Cataclysm Strike forth another few inches with telekinesis, but Goku held strong.

"You're so damn stubborn!" Goku yelled, his muscles straining with the exertion of trying to maintain his Kamehameha wave "Ngh...Now or never Goku, let's hope your body can handle this." Goku muttered to himself. He grit his teeth, and veins began to bulge out along his exposed skin **"SUPER KAIOKEN!"** he screamed at the top of his lungs.

His aura flashed from gold to red, and then tripled in size, utterly decimating the ground behind Goku. A massive pulse shot up the length of Goku's Kamehameha, bursting through Frieza's own ki ball. It struck Frieza whose howls were drowned out by the blast which carried him across the sky. The beam carried him for almost a mile before it drove into a patch of rocky earth, creating a white hot dome of an explosion which left a deep molten crater in the rock.

The boost having worn off, Goku slumped forward slightly and heaved for breath "Oh man...I can't do that too often, I thought I was gonna' explode..." he grunted, before looking to the distant smoking crater "I know you're still alive though."

His normal gold aura flared up, and he quickly dashed toward the deep crater his blast had formed. Frieza emerged from the blast zone, his body covered with black burns and bleeding cuts...His chest rose and fell rapidly with powerful breaths, before he managed to slightly steady himself "Is that all you've got...?" Frieza growled.

"IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT?!"

* * *

A/N: Next time, the battle gets truly intense as it draws to it's conclusion. And an unwanted figure shows up to survey the conflict. Who will come out on top, Goku or Frieza?


	25. Interloper

In the middle of a battle scarred field stood a flinting white arena, each corner marked by a white spear which jutted skyward. The ground was litered by downed airplanes and the husks of old tanks, destroyed because they attempted to destroy a being who was effectively a god when compared to humans.

The one who smashed the earth military stood stoic in the centre of this white tiles of the arena. He was over seven feet in height, his skin mainly green in shade with darker green splotches. His feet were chitonous black boots and he had two sharp wings and wrist guards of a similar colour. The skin on his face was purple as were his hands. Beneath his eyes were two crimson red lines. He had for sharp cranial protrusions surrounding a black biogem atop his head.

This being was Cell, the monster born by combining the DNA of heroes such as Goku, Vegeta and Piccolo...and the cells of villains such as Raditz, Cooler and King Cold.

"Hm...Quite a conflict going on over there..." he mused, his eyes shut so that his ki sense could better hone in on the massive battle taking place miles from Mount Paozu. "I do sorely wish to see it but...I can't just leave my arena, can I?" he looked around and gave a shrug to himself.

"Feh. It's hardly going to sprout legs and run off..." he mused, pressing two purple fingers to his brow. He honed in on one energy signature, then vanished in the blink of an eye.

* * *

Cell reappeared beside Piccolo, causing all the warriors to jump and enter into their fighting stances "Cell!" Gohan grunted, clenching both his fists "What the hell are you doing here?!" he spat, narrowing his turquoise eyes.

Slak clenched his fists, green fire sparking on his alien digits "What manner of abomination is this?!" the Namekian shaman asked, baring his fangs at Cell. He could sense the mixed ki of several races all...forcibly merged inside this being.

The Bio-Android eyed Slak and Inyon curiously. He knew he sensed two unfamiliar energy signatures, but he never thought he'd see another Namek or a female Super Saiyan. "Well isn't this a shock. Another Super Saiyan, honestly it's like a bargain sale with the rate you crop up." he remarked. "I'm Cell, the perfect being. And I'm here to see this battle between Goku and...well according to my genetic memories, his opponent is Frieza."

He watched, seeing Goku's knee crash into Frieza's stomach and sending the Arcosian crashing into the grey rocky ground which split apart on impact. Frieza hopped up quickly and fired off two narrow beams of red ki from his eyes, which struck Goku in the chest with a powerful explosion. It burnt the remainder of Goku's white shirt to cinders and sent him flailing backward with smoking burns on his chest.

"He's certainly stronger. He might actually beat Goku." Cell remarked. Not that he was afraid, Goku was barely a threat to Cell at full power right now.

Gohan looked worried, biting his bottom lip in growing fear that Frieza would actually beat his father '_Damn it dad, you strained yourself too much with that Super Kaioken attack. You need to end this quickly before you totally run out of stamina!'_ he thought. Piccolo, as if sensing the boys worry, planted a large green hand on Gohan's shoulder to comfort him.

* * *

Goku gave a loud yell of pain as Frieza's knuckle smashed his ribs, sending him spiralling downward. He corrected himself in time and blocked another incoming strike which shattered the earth beneath him. The Saiyan's pal shot up and struck Frieza in the brow, knocking him away "Hah...Someone's been training..."

Frieza for his part seemed tired and sore too, but his breaths came far less ragged than Goku's own "Of course...Had to get stronger to beat you. But the universe kept throwing spanners in the works. A rebel army that destroyed my home planet, the reanimated remains of my brother Cooler, the Legendary Super Saiyan...But I handled all of it."

"You...You lost your home planet?" Goku asked, keeping is guard up for now. He was a trusting fellow, but he knew to take everything Frieza said with a hint of skepticism.

"The rumours said I had died on Namek, and that caused the long-dormant rebellion against my empire to spring to life...They blew my homeworld to atoms, and most of my species along with it." Frieza's sneer was fully visible through his shattered face mask "But I brought them back, with the Namekian dragon balls."

Goku's eyes snapped open, and he roared "What did you do to the Namekians?!" deep down there was fear in his stomach, that Frieza had somehow forced the people of New Namek to give him immortality.

"I saved them, from a malicious AI. Out of gratitude of the debt I had repaid, they allowed me to use their dragon balls to restore Arcos and her people." Frieza replied.

He vanished like a white blur, completely vanishing from sight and reappearing straight behind Goku and going to slam his elbow into Goku's neck. He ducked switly and smashed his fist into the small of Frieza's back, sending him hurtling and crashing into spire of rock which collapsed to bits atop him.

A blue ki ball shot from Goku's palm, which blasted Frieza skyward, spurts of blood escaping the cuts that had opened up all across his once snowy skin. He righted himself and shot his index finger out, firing off multiple Death Beams which rained down like burning spears from heaven. Goku started flying about rapidly to swerve around the incoming blasts, flying through fissures and cracks in the rocky field, narrowly avoiding the explosions.

Goku didn't know how he didn't see the bolt that exploded before him and sent him hurtling upward. Maybe he miscalculated his route or, he simply wasn't as fast as he thought he was. Didn't matter now, he mused as he struck the hard earth flat on his back.

He hopped up just in time to avoid getting crushed under Frieza's food, the alien digits shattering the rock where Goku had been a mere moment earlier. The Super Saiyan lunged forth and swung a kick at the Arcosian's side. But Frieza began turning at a poor moment, and Goku's leg connected with Frieza's arm just at the elbow.

There was a horrid crack when the blow connected, followed by a deep hiss of agony from Frieza as his arm bent and twisted in a way biology never intended it to. Then his limb hung limply below the elbow, broken and utterly useless in the fight now.

"Ngh...You think a broken arm will stop me?" Frieza said, lashing Goku in the face with his tail and sending him tumbling backward through a boulder "You have no concept of what I've gone through to get here...If you think I'll give in from one lost limb, you are one stupid Saiyan!"

* * *

Trunks and Vegeta had left the Time Chamber earlier than expected, in need of new training gear after the damage that had been inflicted on the armours they did have. As soon as they stepped out of that door, they sensed the battle. How could they not? The energy they were putting out was enormous, and Frieza of all people, was one of the ki signatures.

They dressed frantically, Vegeta roaring at his son "Get a move on boy!" before they both transformed and flew toward Mount Paozu where the brawling was taking place. When they neared, he spotted Frieza. Transformed, yes, but unmistakably him.

"I told that fool Kakarot that Frieza would come back once he was left alive. Well, now it's time to end this foolishness. Time to die Frieza!" Vegeta roared, his golden aura flaring and his muscles bulging as he entered his Ascended state. He flew down toward Frieza and Goku's brawl, but before he could anywhere close a fist struck him in the jaw and sent him flying backward.

He sensed another Super Saiyan, and a Namekian for that matter, but he was so caught up in his hatred of Frieza that he didn't think to look out for them and as such the blow caught him off guard. His fuming eyes settled on Inyon, who grinned like a madwoman. She wagged her finger at him "Ah ah ah. Naughty lil' prince. Nobody's allowed to interfere with the boss man's fight."

"You dare strike your prince?!" Vegeta snapped. He supposed he was shocked to see a female Saiyan, one that could transform at that, but again he was briefly blinded by his hatred for Frieza and his attempt to show off his Super Saiyan wrath.

Inyon gave an indignant snort "Prince o' what? Planet Vegeta's gone and your precious throne with it, you got no authority. Not like your old beardo father had any real authority, Lord Frieza was always calling the shots." she mocked. "An' sides, even if it weren't for all that I wouldn't serve the royal family after your dad sent me to die on that deserted hell planet." she added.

Before Vegeta could snap and lash out, he heard a soft chuckle and looked to Cell. His cold eyes never left the battle between Goku and Frieza, but he knew full well what was being said "I think you feel you have something to prove after Frieza made you cry like a bitch all those years ago...Your tongue bores me Vegeta. I look forward to tearing it out."

Trunks glared at Cell, the monster that humiliated him when he attained his damn 'perfection'...But he was also curious about Frieza's presence. Where was he in Trunks' timeline?

* * *

Goku had no idea when it had started raining, all he knew was that it was getting heavier and starting to obscure his vision. He and Frieza were both swaying from fatigue and injury, and he knew it would all be over soon. Frieza had changed, he could tell. Saving the Namekians, working openly with a Saiyan and a Namek...And his whole demeanour in the fight, no taunts, no smirks, no games...he was determined, but was he determined enough to kill? Had he changed that much?

Frieza lunged forth with a vicious snarl, shooting his good fist out toward Goku's head. The tired Saiyan narrowly avoided the fist and then swung his own up, smashing it into the open wound below Frieza's ribs, causing him to howl and thrash as a fresh spurt of blood coated Goku's fist.

The tired warrior moved as fast as his fatigued body would allow him catching Frieza by the tail and starting to spin him around rapidly, before throwing him through a large mesa and cleaving it clean in half from the force. Frieza spun in the air and dug his toes into the rock, skidding back several metres before he stopped. His blazing garnet eyes settled on Goku forming a glowing Kamehameha wave, which lit up the gloom of the grey battle-scarred rock land.

"Oh no you don't!" Frieza roared, kicking off the ground and soaring as fast as he could toward the incoming Kamehameha wave, his good fist pulled back and crackling with power.

Frieza howled and shrieked in agony, the energy boring into his exposed wounds, blasting off two more of his horns and whatever shards remained of his face mask. Yet still he pressed on, yet he wouldn't give in, never! "No damnit! If I die...You die first!" He split the beam in two as he moved closer, snarling and roaring in rage and pain as he drew closer to Goku.

Goku's eyes widened in shock, seeing Frieza was now only a few inches away "Ah! No way!" he yelled, trying to break off. Sadly for him he reacted all too late and Frieza's glowing fist caught him in the cheek.

The Super Saiyan hit the earth hard, leaving a deep crater and sending tremors across the ground. Goku grunted in pain and tried to sit among the spiderweb of cracks his impact had formed. His hair flickered from gold to black, and then his bangs fell before his face "Hehe...I'm beat, I just can't fight anymore..." he said, laughing nervously and looking up at the advancing Frieza through his half-lidded eyes.

Frieza was hunched, bleeding heavily from all his wounds, his broken arm dangled uselessly by his side and his fifth form looked far less imposing with all his spikes and horns blown off. Still, he was in better shape to fight than Goku was right now. He planted his foot onto Goku's chest and shoved him flat on his back, then raised one finger up.

"Now then...Time for a much belated revenge on all the pain you've put me through." he spat, a glowing red spark of ki forming on his index finger, the power radiating from it starting to raise a wicked wind. "And a punishment, for your defiance against my family."

Goku weakly managed to raise one arm up "Frieza, wait!" he yelled. Surprisingly, Frieza lowered his finger.

"Hmph, last words eh? Well I suppose I owe you that much."

Goku cast his gaze over to Gohan and the rest of his allies, poised for battle. He shook his head, still not wanting them to intervene. "Frieza, listen. The dragon balls have restored what you've lost, and you already proved yourself stronger than me...What will killing me accomplish?"

The question gave Frieza reason to pause. What would it accomplish? He had nothing to avenge, and he was indeed the stronger right now. He grit his teeth and looked away "I...I don't know." he admitted, clenching both his fists.

Goku gave a grunt and managed to sit up fully "You've changed alot from the monster I fought on Namek, I can sense as much. Are those two over there your friends?" Goku asked, gesturing to Inyon and Slak who were still observing in the distance, ready to stop any interference in the battle.

He hadn't thought much on it, but...Yes, Inyon and Slak, Midgyo, Ais, Polarri...even all the Shamoian slaves he had freed...they were all his friends. "Yes...Yes I suppose they are."

"See, that right there...the fact that you have friends and can admit to it shows how much you've changed. Back on Namek, you would've called the grunts or lackeys..." Goku said, grinning that silly dopey grin of his. "Ngh...Li-listen man...We have a major threat to deal with right now...Cell..." he pointed toward the dot on the horizon, and Frieza slowly turned to look over at him.

Then he was suddenly before them, making Frieza and Goku lurch backward. "It...He...he looks like Cooler..." Frieza said. It was the only thing he could think to say. His power was enormous, and Frieza just knew he was suppressed right now.

"That's because I have your brothers cells inside me. And your father's. And Goku's, Vegeta's, Piccolo's...etcetera..." he trailed off, smirking down at Frieza. Frieza sneered in disgust at this, this abomination who defiled the Snow King's bloodline with his mere existence. "I must admit, I'm a little disappointed. I expected a little bloodshed." he remarked in a bored tone.

"Oh well. At least the honour of killing Goku will be mine. Yes, a tremendous Honour...I believe I'll celebrate this Honour by taking a Trip of some sort when I'm finished..." Cell muttered. His aura flared up, he gave a wave and a smirk to the two warriors before flying off into the sky.

Frieza stood silently, watching the mutant soar off. Then he looked to Goku "I want to kill that abomination." he said sternly.

Goku grinned "Well he's hosting a tournament called the Cell Games in a few days time if you want to help us fight him. The others mightn't like it, but I'd like your help." he said. Right now he saw Frieza as the lesser of two evils, given just how damn powerful Cell was.

Frieza nodded "yes well. I'll let you use the healing tanks on my ship. Newer models, more efficient than the ones on my flying saucer."

It was at that moment that the group converged on the two weary warriors, Slak walking over and supporting Frieza on his shoulder "Easy Lord Frieza. Your race are hardy, but not invincible." the shaman said, looking to his ally.

Goku explained everything that had led up to Cell attaining his perfect form to Frieza, Dr. Gero and his quest for revenge, his Android army, Cell absorbing the Androids and then coming up with the Cell Games. He even divulged some details on Trunks and his quest to save the future. Frieza had no idea what to think of the boy. His brother was alive again, so he could hardly be mad about that. And as of late he'd been questioning whether his father was a good man or not.

He then went on to suggest Frieza and his allies aid in the fight against Cell, and the other had mixed looks of shock on thei face. None were more against the motion than Vegeta "Kakarot you blind stinking fool! You let this lizard live on Namek, and now you're letting him live now as an ally?! I always thought you were stupid as a post, but never that you'd do something THIS stupid! We can't trust him, not for an instant!"

At this, Slak wrinkled his nose "You are not of a mind to judge Frieza, Prince of Saiyans. You have carried out his genocides, laughing as you destroyed the cities of those who begged for mercy. What kind of penance of you done for your past?" he asked, causing Vegeta to grit his teeth "Frieza has fought the Legendary Super Saiyan and saved the universe from his violent rampages. He has saved the people of New Namek from a murderous computer, when there was nobody else to come to their aid."

This made Piccolo pause. Dende never mentioned such a thing when he was brought to the Lookout...

"Many of you have committed crimes in the pastm and you have been given chance to improve yourselves." he looked to Piccolo "Demon King." then to Tien "Assassin." then to Yamcha "Bandit." he finished "You have made up for your crimes. Please believe that Frieza has made up for his." there was a pause, and a silence.

"I guess...we need all the help we can get." Yamcha mumbled.

"If he saved Namek, then I can forget the past. And if a Namekian and a Saiyan can serve at his side, then maybe he truly has changed." Piccolo said.

The others soon fell in line, except for Vegeta who scoffed and spat on the ground "Mark my words, I know he hasn't changed, he's still scum deep down. Give me an excuse Frieza, and I'll kill you like the dog you are!" Vegeta grunted out, before flying off with Trunks in tow.

There was a long silence.

"Draaaaamaaa booooooomb!" Inyon blurted out.

* * *

A/N: Yup, Frieza won. Barely. Not that he's even close to Cell at this stage. So, review answerin' time!

Zengame: Well I imagine the strain would be huge, similar to the Kaioken x 60 Tien attempted to use in an earlier chapter. It was probably the main reason Frieza won in the end.

Oh wow, not a whole lot to really answer on...

Anywii, I got no answer for this when I asked a few chapters back, but would anyone like some sort of 100 review comedy special? Also, should I try and make some sort of TVtropes page on this fic or my other one Guardian?


	26. Preparation

**Yeah I kinda forgot to mention this in the authors note of the last chapter. In the Mirai timeline, when Frieza came to Earth he tried to scan for Goku's power level from space like he did in chapter 24. Sensing nothing, he ordered the Snow King to move on to explore neighbouring solar systems for Goku. When nothing came up, he returned to Arcos to rule as best he could alongside his brother. I couldn't make a whole chapter on that, so yeah, enjoy that lil explanation.**

* * *

The Snow King stayed adrift beside Kami's Lookout, the egg-like ship comparable in size to the main palace atop the lookout. Inside the ship itself, Goku and Frieza were being healed of the wounds they had inflicted on each other. Inyon stood on the boarding ramp which connected the lookout and the spaceship, serving as a guard to anyone who would pose a threat to Frieza while he recovered.

"...Yes, I can unlock your potentials. I believe so, at least." Slak replied, glancing over the Z-fighters "I believe you require all the aid you can get against this Cell creature, thus I'll try to unlock as much power from all of you as I can." he explained.

The group exchanged glances and Gohan spoke up "Well I know the old Guru on Namek could unlock potential. I believe this guy should be able to if he knows all the magic he says he does."

Piccolo sighed "And Dende did confirm his story about Frieza's exploits on New Namek, so he's trustworthy. Alright, I'm in. Anything to iprove our chances in battle against Cell." the other Namekian remarked with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

Thus every one of the Z-warriors lined up before Slak to recieve his power boost. Even Vegeta did so begrudgingly, unwilling to be outdone by any of these fools. The Shaman unlocked the power of Tien, Piccolo, Krillin, Yamcha, Vegeta, Trunks...but he paused once he put his hand on Gohan's head.

"Is...Is something wrong?" Gohan asked, looking up at Slak's stern face. he could hear the others laughing and testing out their new strength, feeling far more powerful than they had before.

Slak pulled a hand back and gave a sigh "Your potential is...massive, I must admit that. However, because of all that power it is simply beyond my capacity to release your potential. But I know you can release this latent power, once you bypass whatever emotional wall is holding you back." Slak explained. Gohan gave a small nod in response. How strong could he possibly be?

Slak moved over to Piccolo, standing straight before the green being who was his equal in stature "I can sense elements of the Warrior and the Dragon Clan inside you." the Shaman said, hands behind his back.

Piccolo nodded "My...original form was a Warrior. I merged with another warrior named Nail back when Frieza staged an invasion on Namek. And recentlyI fused with a Dragon Clan Namekian named Kami, my counterpart." he explained, crossing his arms. Despite that, even with his potential unlocked, he only felt stronger than Cell's Semi-Perfect form.

"I see. Well you have some mystic and combat capabilities, more than enough to learn the Shaman's magic." Slak said, earning a strange look from Piccolo. At this, Slak grinned "Perhaps you doubt the potency of the magics power." He held an open palm out, and a flower of emerald fire bloomed in his hand "The Dragonfire of Porunga. So hot that it easily managed to melt the flesh of a foe roughly twice my strength."

This shocked Piccolo, but he was even more surprised when Slak seemed to split in two "The Shade of the Ajisa creates an illusion so real that, even a person who can sense ki would be briefly fooled. Briefly." he touched the replica of himself, who then disintegrated into dust which scattered to the wind.

Then he raised both arms up and gave a grunt of exertion, black and green lightning surging up his forearms "And this is the Lightning of Namek." he added finally, the lightning vanishing "It's good at restraining a foe for a brief while, even those stronger than you." he explained. "I know many other things Piccolo, things a warrior like you deserves to know."

Piccolo was silent for a moment, before giving a low sigh "Very well. Couldn't hurt to try." he replied, before leading Slak to the hyperbolic time chamber.

As everyone else went about their business, Inyon noticed Yamcha resting under the shade of the rows of palm trees atop the lookout "Hey Scars!" she called out to him, causing him to look up "Aren't you gonna go train?"

Yamcha shook his head and gave a small laugh "Why bother? I'm hardly gonna be as strong as Piccolo, or one of you Saiyans, even with my potential unlocked."

Inyon rolled her eyes "Not with an attitude like that you won't." she said, hopping onto the lookout and strolling toward Yamcha "Lemme tell you a story of when I was a kid. I was born low class, a weakling in the eyes of my people. And I was constantly getting picked on and beat up by this Elite bitch named Kelari. Lazy cow. Never trained and relied soley on natural ability. I always trained, intent on beating her, and when i did I forcefed the bitch her own teeth. You get what I'm saying here?"

Yamcha raised a brow "Uh...No, not really."

Inyon gave a sigh "If you give up on your goals, give up on bettering yourself, then you'll never accomplish shit." she said, extending a hand out to him. She helped him to his feet and grinned wickedly at him "C'mon, we're gonna go train on the ship."

"What?! Me train with you, are you nuts? You'll paste me!" Yamcha exclaimed, struggling against Inyon who was dragging him onto the ship by the wrist.

"Well we'll never know if we never try, right?" she said with a chuckle.

On the other end of the Lookout, Tien was quietly meditating and trying to ignore Yamcha's yelling. He pondered his newly developed strength, and then thought of his battle against Semi-Perfect Cell. He felt he could have done much better now, than he did back then.

* * *

_Cell smirked and slowly advanced toward Android 18 and the badly damaged 16, his lumbering steps punctuated by the clacking sounds of his various mechanical and biological joints. The he paused and looked to the sky, feeling Tien's ki rising. "Hrmph...what does that no-count think he's doing?" he asked aloud._

_"The only right thing..." Tien began, clenching his fists "I'm stopping you."_

_"You fool. You've seen you're no match for me." Cell replied. Quicker than Cell could react to however, Tien was suddenly in front of him. The mutant's eyes widened in shock, and he was soon spent flying across the island with one powerful kick which formed a large trench through where Cell passed._

_Tien whipped his head around and glared at the two androids "Get out of here! Go, now!" he snapped, before turning back to where Cell was slowly standing up._

_18 stood transfixed...how did Tien do that? From what her scanners told her, his power level hadn't changed at all, he shouldn't have budged Cell an inch with a strike like that. What was stranger was, Tien lacked the normal white aura of a human. He had only a think, barely visible outline of crimson around his body._

_It was genius, really, when he and Krillin finally had the realisation on how to improve the kaioken technique. The main reason the strain was so grand was because it caused a boost in all areas and subsequently strained every part of the warriors body._

_So Tien suggested, altering the technique to allow the warrior to control exactly what was boosted. He called it Zen Kaioken. With it, he managed to move one hundred times faster than normal to intercept Cell, then delivered a kick 100 times stronger than normal to send Cell sprawling across the island. Only a person with masterful ki sensing would notice the fluctuations._

_Cell gave a snarl and lunged at Tien, delivering rapid punches which the triclops was only narrowly dodging, straining into the upper limits of this new technique "I won't let a worthless human like you humiliate me!" he snarled._

_Tien gave a grunt and jammed one hand forth, increasing his strength and jamming his fingers through Cell's flesh. The bio-Android howled in agony, and his howl turned to a shriek when Tien fired a gold ki beam straight through Cell's pieced torso, launching the mutant back a few feet._

_He regenerated quickly enough and lunged at Tien, again and again, gradually pushing Tien further onto the defensive. While Zen Kaioken was marginally superior to it's outdated predecessor, it did still cause strain in it's users over time that gradually built up._

_Tien amplified his defence at the last possible moment, feeling Cell's fist smash into his stomach and sending him soaring into the island below him. He hit the rock with a thunderous crash, sending spiderweb like cracks all across the earth. The martial artist gave a grunt and sat up, seeing Cell advancing on him with malice in his eyes "I'll break your fucking neck, human filth..."_

_Tien gave a grunt, seeing Piccolo unconscious on the shores of the island, being lashed by white waves. He thought to Launch, the fear of losing her...Then he tried to mentally calculate the Androids might have gotten in the span of time it took Cell to gain the upper hand. They were safe now, surely?_

_Once Cell was close enough, Tien amped his speed up and chopped at Cell's eyes. There was a splatter of blood and gore as the triclops' hand sliced through Cell's eyeballs, splattering eye chunks on his hand._

_Cell was howling and clutching his slowly regenerating eyes. Tien rushed over and lifted Piccolo, carrying him as fast as possible from the island, as fast as his Zen Kaioken could move him. Then they hit the earth several miles away, and Tien passed out with the strain._

_A useful technique, and if it was honed enough it just might be the human equivilant to the Super Saiyan..._

* * *

Paragus, despite being a weakling compared to his demonic groinspawn Broly, possessed the common instinct of all Saiyans to grow stronger. As such he had invented a training chamber with gravity manipulating functions and highly dense walls to prevent damage to the ships hull from ki blasts and the like.

It was here that Inyon had taken Yamcha for training, sealing the entrance hatch of the Snow King to ward off intruders who would do Lord Frieza harm.

She had amped the gravity a little, then she transformed, and she started sparring with Yamcha. Even with Zen Kaioken, he was having a great deal of trouble keeping up with her, the majority of his attacks being either blocked or swatted away by the ebony Saiyaness.

Yamcha gave a loud yell, swinging kicks and punches so fast that they blurred from sight. Inyon stepped back, pushed onto the defensive slightly by the onslaught of attacks. However the split second she saw an opening, she leapt forth slightly and headbutted the human, sending him sprawling flat on his back, groaning in pain.

"I told you you'd paste me..." he grunted, rubbing the small bruise on his brow. "That's it, I quit." he grumbled.

Inyon gave an annoyed sigh and rolled her eyes "I was hoping I wouldn't have to play this card until later, buuuut..." she trailed off and grinned at him "For every successful hit you land on me...I'll lose a piece of my armour." At this, Yamcha sat straight up like an excited dog.

"You're not pulling my leg, right?" he asked.

Inyon pouted and leaned before him "This' my super serious face." she said.

Yamcha rolled back on his feet and breathed a sigh of exertion "Okay, let's do it! HYAAAH!" he dove forth, delivering swift yet well aimed jabs. Inyon was forced onto the defensive, raising her arms rapidly to deflect the hail of blows and having to sidestep to avoid several of the former bandits attacks.

He skidded around one uppercut from Inyon, and to the Saiyaness' shock she felt a hard fist strike her in the sheek which sent her skidding to one side. "Yikes...Nice man!" Inyon complimented, grinning and wiping a dribble of blood from her cheek. "Well my good man, I do believe a deal is a deal." she said, trailing her fingers up to the straps on one red metal gauntlet, undoing them and letting the armour clang loudly against the floor.

She grinned then "Not bad...Too bad for you I'm going on the offensive now!" she said with a giddy laugh, before she lunged forth at a yelping Yamcha.

* * *

Shortly after docking at Kami's lookout, Midgyo had asked Goku if he could visit the most technologically advanced part of the planet. Goku suggested Capsule Corp and helped give the Litt directions, and following that he headed to an attack ball and flew toward the legendary building full of tech marvels.

His reception had been...icy to say the least.

"I don't want any funny business. I was on Namek when Frieza was causing all the trouble on old Namek." Bulma explained as she led the avian alien through the corridors of the capsule corp building.

"I'm well aware of my lordship's abilities Doctor Briefs, but if he had any plans he certainly wouldn't have sent me. He would have sent Slak or Inyon, or even one of his handmaidens before sending me out to cause trouble." Midgyo explained, eyeing the technology on display.

"Just letting you know you're being watched." Bulma said sternly, leading him to the room where Android 16 was being held. "Hello 16, how are you feeling today?" the scientist asked.

The partially damaged android, very close to being fully repaired, managed a smile "Much better, thank you. Your father and yourself have done amazing work." the redheaded giant complimented. "Who is your friend?" he asked, his eyes shifting to Midgyo.

"Midgyo, sir." The Litt greeted "An envoy of Lord Frieza. I have come because the technology of this planet intrigues me so." he said. That seemed satisfactory for 16, who nodded and began conversing with Bulma. On the various screens in this hospital room, the Litt could see the schematics of 16, and began to mentally analyse and dissect them. This giant was fully mechanical, unlike the others Goku had described, and were he to die against Cell it seemed unlikely that he could be brought back by the dragon balls for he had no soul.

He supposed he'd need to create some way to preserve the Android, were he to die in battle against Cell.

* * *

When the time came to head to the Cell Games arena, the group had gathered on the Lookout's polished white floor. "Well...Shall we be off?" Frieza asked, cracking the bones in his neck. He could tell the wary stares. Well, he supposed he was just as shocked to be working with them.

"Good luck Lord Frieza!" Ais and Polarri said in unison, bowing to the prince. They paused, then looked to the others before laughing nervously "Good luck to you guys too..."

Midgyo gave a small salute "I'm working on something special, but I'll monitor events and give you all my support."

Frieza nodded, and then reached out to shake his hand "You've been a stalwart ally and a true friend." Midgyo shook without hesitation. Then Frieza walked over and hugged his two handmaidens "As for you two, I owe you much for your care, loyalty and service. Thank you."

Goku grinned at the sight "Come on guys, we better get going!"

* * *

A/N: Stupid little filler chapter, but some things that took place here will be brought up in later chapters. So ah, yes read and review and the Cell Games will formally begin in the next chapter.


	27. Let The Games Begin

Vegeta landed at the edge of the Cell Games arena, watching two human imbeciles trying to mock Cell and goad him into striking them. One was a slender, spindly kinda guy with oiled black hair and a pencil thin moustache accompanied by a camera man and the other was a tall well-built guy with an absurd afro atop his head.

Neither had any idea what they were getting into.

Android 16 landed next, his metallic boots surprisingly not raising any dust where he landed. "I'm surprised to see you here 16. I thought you were as good as scrap." Cell remarked, recalling how casually he'd beaten him in the past. It was at that moment that Cell sensed Goku and his allies, and he promptly turned to their landing sight "Ah. At last."

Goku, Trunks, Tien, Yamcha, Krillin, Piccolo, Gohan (Who was dressed like Piccolo)...Along with Frieza and his entourage. He only had tangential knowledge on Frieza from the genetic memories of some beings who had gone into his creation, and Cell knew literally nothing on Frieza's two allies. He'd have to be wary of them. "Welcome to the battle." he said casually.

Vegeta gave an annoyed scoff "About time they all got here."

16 strolled over to the group, the Red Ribbon logo on his chest now covered by a Capsule Corp symbol."I wanted to thank you Krillin, thanks to you I've been repaired."

Krillin gave a bashful laugh "Hehe, that's good to know 16."

Goku innocently reached a hand up to shake 16's own "Hey, let's all do our best!"

16 scowled suddenly, his eyes growing cold and dim "I was originally built to destroy you. Don't forget that Goku."

Goku blinked and then gave a nervous laugh. He started to stretch and looked toward Cell "Well, shall we start this tournament with me fighting Cell? Is that okay with you Vegeta?" he asked the shorter Saiyan.

Vegeta gave an irritated grunt "Do whatever you want Kakarot, in the end I'll finish Cell off."

Frieza seemed indignant, turning to glare at Goku "What?! Why do you get to fight first? I've already proved my superiority to you!" he grunted out, shaking a clenched ivory fist at the spiky-haired Saiyan.

Goku laughed that normal airheaded laugh of his "Just trust me Frieza. I don't expect to win, but I do want to test his fighting ability."

The news reporter cleared his throat and looked toward the group of earth warriors "Uh, excuse me. Are you all planning on entering the Cell Games?" he asked. Goku gave a nod and another silly grin, which seemed to annoy and fluster the reporter. "Stop this stupid joke! this isn't a game, you don't know what's going on here!"

Krillin looked completely deadpan "I think they're the clueless ones."

Mr. Satan gave a bored shrug "Well this is surprising, I thought even the most ignorant hicks knew who I was. I'm the world martial arts champion, Hercule Satan."

The reporter proceeded to kiss ass "He's the world champ! A genius! The strongest man alive on planet earth!"

Inyon gave a joyful squeal, and one could almost see the stars in her eyes "The strongest?! Really?! Ooooh! That so cool, can I fight him Lord Frieza? Can I can I can I?"

"Aha...He's not all that strong. I mean, he's strong for an average human but nothing like us." Yamcha remarked "He's got a PL of like, sixty." he added. This made Inyon frown in disappointment and caused Yamcha to laugh slightly "Well, you can fight me any time you want. Especially if it's anything like our little training sessions."

Krillin raised a brow at the two, before looking to Goku "Ah...just let this afro guy go first."

"Come on already!" Cell spat. Seems he had King Cold's impatience.

A few moments of preening to the crowd from Mr. Satan followed, flashing his world champion belt to the crowd. He pulled out a capsule which formed a duffle bag from the plume of smoke, and from the bag he extracted and stacked fifteen tiles. With a triumphant yell, Hercule smashed fourteen of the tiles in a quick swipe, proceeding to brag about his strength. Tien pinched the bridge of his nose in distaste "This is the folly that passes for martial arts these days...?"

Hercule gave a yell and leapt at Cell, with one arm pulled back to deliver the strongest punch he could muster. Cell rapidly swung one arm out and backhanded Mr. Satan clean from the ring without batting an eyelash "Pathetic."

Piccolo gave a grunt "Well he's alive if nothing else. I guess Cell didn't see any point in killing him."

Slak blinked and rubbed his eyes to make sure he really had seen that ridiculous display "Earth is such a strange planet..."

* * *

Goku and Cell seemed to stare each other down quietly, nothing but the wind making any noise. Suddenly the two lunged at each other, their arms colliding hard enough the crack the ground beneath them. They started brawling upward, releasing shockwaves of power that could be felt on the ground below. They started vanishing from sight, only shockwaves appearing in the sky to detail where they actually were.

Cell blocked a punch, Goku swerved to avoid a kick, Cell ducked to avoid a ki blast from Goku, Goku flipped away through the air to avoid a vertical chop from Cell...Seemed neither could really outmatch the other.

The two swung their fists out at the same time, smashing each other in the cheek and sending both backward simultaneously. Cell recovered first and drove his knee into Goku's ribs, making him gag in pain. Then, quick as a flash, Cell drove an elbow into the back of the Saiyan's head, sending him spiralling downward through the air.

Goku recovered just in time to dodge a Death Beam from Cell, which swooped past him and collided with the arena below, destroying several tiles on the arena floor.

The two clashed in the air a few more times, Goku delivering a flurry of rapid punches to Cell's face, while Cell delivered two strong kicks to Goku's ribs. The duo landed on opposite end of the ring, staring each other down "Well...That's enough of a warm up, wouldn't you agree?" Cell asked.

Goku merely grinned in response, and the two both powered up in unison, their gold aura's clashing and shaking the earth beneath their feet.

"I-incredible...The power of these two is beyond description..." Piccolo remarked.

Frieza's dark lips curled into a smirk "Well, it seems Goku had a little zenkai from our battle. Nothing too immense though." the former tyrant remarked.

The two super warriors clashed again, sending tremors across the vast wasteland Cell had chosen to situate hit tournament, the brawl forcing them higher and higher up into the sky. Cell swung a kick out, but all he hit was an afterimage. Goku was right behind him and slammed his knee into the back of the mutant's skull, the force shattering one of his four black cranial protrusions and sending him hurtling downward.

His wings shot out and halted his descent, and Cell spun rapidly to launch a Destructo Disk at Goku, who suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind Cell. The mutant, anticipating this, spun round and buried his elbow in Goku's chin, sending the Saiyan tumbling over a dozen metres upward. Two explosive red bolts of ki flashed from Cell's eyes, sending Goku soaring even higher before he managed to halt himself. He turned and glared at Cell, entering into a familiar stance.

"Ka...Me..."

Cell's eyes widened in shock, before he smirked "Haha...Oh please Goku, I know you won't fire at me from there. You'll risk blowing up the whole planet."

Goku gave a grunt, but his aura flared and the blue sphere of power kept growing in size "Ha...Me..." that wiped the smirk off of Cell's face.

Meanwhile at the outskirts of the ring, Krillin had gone white with fear "What ah...what do you guys think Goku's doing up there...He hasn't gone completely out of his mind, right?" the bald monk asked.

"Likely he feels Cell is too powerful to be beaten." Frieza replied, folding his arms and watching the battle with a bored expression. "He might feel destroying the planet is the best way to stop this being permanantly. Of course if he has the cells of that Namekian and my father and brother, it will be an exercise in futility."

The Kamehameha wave in Goku's hand continued to grow in power, and Cell wondered just what the hell Goku was planning. Would he really risk the Earth?

Quick as a flash, Goku appeared before the shocked Cell. He shot his hands up swiftly and roared out "HA!" the beam collided with Cell's upper body, and the mutant gave a garbled yell of pain as he was engulfed by the beam, the ki blast continuing to travel and vanish into the sky. The charged energy wave had blown off Cell's entire upper body, leaving only a mangled pair of legs on the marbled arena floor.

Inyon pouted at the sight "Aw man...It's not over already, is it?"

Frieza shook his head "If that fool had aimed just a little lower, it just might be. But that pair of legs is still radiating energy."

As Frieza had said, those legs did indeed contain all of Cell's power. They hopped up and stood erect of their own accord and then in the span of seconds, the mutants entire upper body had regenerated "A clever trick Goku, that instant transmission. Still, I won't fall for it again and if you plan on wasting your ki on non-lethal attacks then this battle will get boring very quickly."

Goku smirked in response, and the two beings lunged at each other once more, each landing a powerful punch or kick on the other for every metre they moved upward. Suddenly, Cell kicked Goku in the brow and sent him rocketing upward, and then was behind the spiky Saiyan, burying an elbow into Goku's jaw with such force that it sent him spiralling over a dozen metres away.

Before Goku could react, Cell was behind him again, kicking him in the back of the head and sending him soaring away once more. "It mightn't be instant transmission, but I'm pretty damn fast."

Goku finally caught his breath was panting for breath, and he looked up to see Cell with his arms crossed over his chest and a cocky grin on his face "I must say, you're giving me far more entertainment than I thought you would. It'd be a shame if it had to end if one of us were to fall from the ring, so let's remove the ring-out rule." Cell remarked. Goku's eyes widened, and Cell aimed one hand to the arena.

Goku looked down to his allies "GET AWAY FROM THE ARENA, HE'S GOING TO BLOW IT UP!"

A white flash flew from Cell's palm, lightning up the earth for miles around. In the span of a few seconds, Frieza had managed to transform into his Super-state and formed a dense wall of ki that blocked most of the incoming force from hitting his allies as they doubled back. The machine known as 16 had swooped in and saved that small group of human fools from the blast, his giant form shielding them. Then he wordlessly rejoined the group once the light began to return to normal.

Once the brilliant bolt had faded, the once glorious ring had been completely obliterated, leaving a crater so deep in the earth's crust that the bottom couldn't be seen.

Frieza's pale blue ki wall vanished, and the Super Arcosian landed before the rest of the group "Hmph. I'm going to pull that mutants head off for trying such a stunt against me." he added, blazing eyes glaring up at Cell.

"There. Now the whole planet is our arena." Cell remarked, dusting his hands. He certainly seemed pleased with himself, likely having no more fear of an unfortunate ring-out.

He dashed at Goku again and their knees collided in a mighty display which sent powerful tremors across the battle-scarred wasteland. Goku swerved under one blow and dug his elbow into the side of Cell's neck, making him wretch in pain as his windpipe buckled for the briefest of moments, only to regenerate a moment later.

Goku went to deliver a kick, but quick as a flash Cell caught him by the leg and flung him into the uppermost layer of a dark brown mesa, leaving deep cracks along it's surface. Stealing a move from Cooler, Cell dove down and smashed one foot between Goku's ribs. The Saiyan's yell of pain was quickly drowned out once the mesa fully crumbled and all the shattered rock began to collapse atop him.

Cell drifted lazily through the air, his eye on the collapsed mound of rock "Hmph. Come on out Goku, something like that couldn't kill you of all people."

And indeed, Goku did burst up from the shattered earth over 100 metres away from Cell. Gold ki orbs formed in the Super Saiyan's palms, and a hailstorm of energy bolts flew at Cell, arcing through the air and smashing the mutant's body repeatedly.

Each strike exploded against Cell's unnatural flesh, the blasts sending Cell tumbling back over and over again, enraging him and burning his flesh. Lightning began to arc around Cell's upraised arms, and soon the energy was spreading across the genetic android's whole body. A rumble came from his lungs, which evolved into a full blown roar as he raised his arms up high above his head. A massive sphere of energy, crackling with lightning, surged out from Cell's body. It grew and grew until it was digging into the earth, and it's expansion caused Goku to break off his assault and double back.

When the sphere collapsed to nothing, Cell was spending a few moments catching his breath "Goodness...I have to say Goku, enraging me enough to raise my shield. Most impressive."

* * *

Those who were not warriors, or those who had been warriors and went into retirement, had gathered at Kame House to watch the live news coverage of the Cell Games. There was an air of tension, seeing that Goku didn't seem to have any clear advantage over Cell.

"Well...Do you think he can do it?" Bulma asked aloud, feeling the need to do...something to break the silence that gripped the group.

Master Roshi adjusted his shades, and proceeded to shake his head "I've known Goku since he was a monkey-tailed lad, and I know he can't win this fight. He's getting tired, while Cell's regeneration will keep him fresh for the fight longer." the old master explained.

A shudder crept up Bulma's spine "S-so...He can't win?" Bulma asked aloud. She gulped hard, that was some bitter medicine to swallow. "W-well...What does that mean for the others?"

Roshi stayed silent, for he knew that she had already come to the same conclusions he had. If Goku couldn't win, who could?

Launch, currently in her blue-haired innocent state, gave a small whimper "Oh no...Tien..." she murmured, one dainty hand unconsciously guiding down to her stomach.

* * *

Cell folded his arms and drifted closer to Goku. The Saiyan warrior was heavily damaged at this stage, the top of his orange gi ripped to shreds and exposing his black undershirt. "Well then Goku, are you ready to keep fighting?"

Trunks watched the battle with one fist clenched "Cell's getting tired. Quick, if we toss Goku a senzu he can go all out and end this!" the lavender-haired youth said, looking to Goku and Cell in the distance.

"Shut your mouth, boy!" Vegeta spat, glaring at his son "Even a clown like him wouldn't want to win in such a cowardly manner." he added with a low grunt.

Goku gave a silly grin and looked Cell dead in the eye "I surrender."

Everyone took in a sharp breath, in disbelief at what they just heard.

"What does that damn clown think he's doing?!" Vegeta snapped

"Does he have any idea what he's just done?" Piccolo asked aloud.

"Moron." Frieza muttered.

"Is he out of his mind?!" Tien and Yamcha yelled in unison.

Cell tilted his head "Goku, surely you understand the implications of what you just said. If nobody will fight me, the Earth will be destroyed." the machine-mutant said.

"Oh, make no mistake, there's someone else lined up to fight you. Someone I know can beat you." Goku replied casually. Everyone leaned in, wondering who he meant. Vegeta? Frieza? Trunks?

"See, I spent this whole fight trying to gauge your strength, and from what I've seen...Well, I can't win, but I know he can." the Saiyan added.

Cell sneered "Oh, is that so? And just who is this individual who has no right to exist?"

Goku pointed to the crowd, and his finger came to rest on Gohan "Hey Gohan! It's your turn to fight!"

The group turned sharply to look at the half-Saiyan youth, who seemed every bit as shocked as his allies were. Had his father gone completely off his rocker?

"Good god we're doomed..." Frieza murmured.

* * *

A/N: Okay then, first of all...200 PLUS REVIEWS, FUCK YE-HES! Thank you all so much for your continued reading and all your kind words, it means a great deal to me and it's the main reason I continue both this story and Guardian.

So um, yes, reviews.

- shadowwriter01: Well as to that, I think the Android 8 thing may have been a mistake on AT's part, but I can't be sure. Either, way, I'm pretty sure 16 never appeared after the Cell Games.

- ShinigamiMaster: Honestly, good as Vegeta's sacrifice was his character was all over the place to me. Anyway, as for Hatchiyack and Raichi they're within the Sol system, but once they see the power of Gohan and Cell, their assault will be put off for a while.


	28. Rage

"Guys, Gohan's actually alot stronger than I ever imagined. I learned as much in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber." Goku remarked. He glanced to Piccolo quickly "Piccolo, you of all people should know Gohan's hidden might." the Saiyan remarked. Piccolo glanced to his young pupil and first friend, before nodding slowly.

Now that Frieza thought about it, that boy did have immense power linked to his rage. He'd actually harmed the Arcosian Prince in his second and third forms without need to transform into a Super Saiyan.

"It's true, he has a grand potential. To the point where it was beyond my abilities to unlock his power." Slak chimed in, folding his green arms over his torso.

Goku gave a small nod and then looked over to his son "Tell me son, did you think it was hard to monitor my battle with Cell or could you follow our movements?" he asked. Gohan gave a nod to indicate that he followed the battle easily enough.

"W-well yeah...But you both weren't going all out, right?" he asked.

Goku gave an airheaded grin "Well I don't know about Cell, but I was fighting with all I had. Did it seem to you like I was holding back?" Gohan stayed silent and everyone seemed shocked by Gohan's power.

"Yikes...To think a half-breed could be that powerful." Inyon remarked, peering at the lad.

"Go on Gohan, restore peace to the planet." Goku said, patting his son on the back affectionately. He knew full well he hadn't been the best, most attentive father, but now more than ever he wanted to show his faith and pride in his son.

Gohan looked determined "I'll do my best dad!" he said, tossing his weighted white cape off and flying over to meet Cell in battle. The youth entered into a fighting stance, clenched both his fists. His golden aura began to flicker, and the it surged incredibly in size, Gohan giving a primal yell that rose in volume as his aura rose in power. The earth rending beneath his feet, and even Cell seemed blown back in inch or two from the powerful winds.

The gathered Z-warriors were shocked, Gohan had surpassed all of them "Is that really Gohan? He's become so powerful..."

"Well...I'll be damned." Frieza said simply, blinking.

* * *

Cell didn't waste time on pointless banter. He lunger at Gohan and swung a chop out which he easily blocked. He tried to kick Gohan's feet out from under him, but the young half-Saiyan leapt over easily and flew skyward. Cell took chase and went to deliver a haymaker, but Gohan backstepped away and avoided the strike deftly.

"Fast little bastard...Guess I'll have to use my full speed against you!" Cell snarled, dashing at Gohan. His fist struck Gohan's gut, winding him and forcing him to drop his guard. He caught the halfling by his collar, repeatedly headbutting him 'till small dribbles of blood ran from Gohan's brow. Cell shot an arm forth and struck Gohan with a powerful Telekinetic force, smashing Gohan through a large rock formation which collapsed atop the youth.

The others stayed dead still, Cell seemed smug "Hmph. Perhaps I used a little too much power, he was just a child."

"It's hard tp believe you have any of my family's DNA when you're so incompetent at killing!" Frieza mocked, watching Gohan rise from the rubble. He looked a little beat up, bruised and dirty, but more than that he looked determined.

Cell gave an annoyed grunt "I'll show you just how good I am at killing Frieza, soon enough. But first..." he turned to face Gohan fully. Despite the large height difference, Gohan seemed confident and stood tall.

"Please, let's stop. This fight is completely meaningless." Gohan said, clenching his fists which hung at his sides.

Cell seemed mildly irritated, but was soon laughing "Meaningless? Well dear boy it has plenty of meaning. For me, it's a form of entertainment, and for you it's a chance to save the pathetic lives of the humans." he explained.

Gohan shook his head "I simply don't like fighting. I'm not like my dad..."

Cell gave a laugh "Are you sure you're not just making excuses since you realised the futility of fighting me? You're strong boy, but I don't see why Goku had faith in you beating me."

Gohan was silent, but eventually he spoke up "I think I understand what my dad saw in me. Ever since I was a little kid, whenever I got really angry I'd explode with hidden power I couldn't normally draw upon. I guess that's why my dad has faith in me."

Cell's smirk grew into a psychotic, malicious grin "That was a mistake to say boy...Now I'm going to piss you off to see if there's any truth to that." quick as a flash, Cell had roundhouse kicked Gohan across the dusty wasteland. He dashed after Gohan and punched him clean into the air. He dashed skyward and, stealing a move from Tien, smashed Gohan down to earth like a volleyball "Get mad and show me your real power!"

He shot down after Gohan, but the young halfling corrected himself in time to kick Cell down to earth, where he crashed into an ungraceful heap.

He hopped up swiftly and wiped some purple blood from his burst lip. He gave another smarmy smirk and raised an index finger, firing a purple Death Beam at Gohan which the half-Saiyan narrowly dodged. "Ah, that's Frieza's technique!" Krillin said, recalling how casually it had snuffed out the lives of several warriors.

"My family's technique." Frieza corrected, his glowing garnet eyes straining to follow Gohan's movements, nimbly dodging a barrage of the blasts "He lacks my cells, remember? But my father and brother both knew the technique well enough." he explained "It's been a part of the bloodline for so long that the attacks origins are unknown. All that is known is that it's earliest wielders were so fearful of traitors that they killed off members of their royal court so often that they needed a quick execution attack."

Gohan leapt up, about to dive at Cell. The mutant vanished and appeared behind Gohan, his pointed tail uncoiling like a whip and curling around Gohan who gagged in response. Cell started to cackle, his fists swinging out and using the suspended boy as a punching bag, the echoes of his punches ringing through the wasteland.

"Doesn't it hurt, boy?!" Cell spat, punctuating every word with another strong punch "Get mad! you'll die otherwise! Get! Mad!" Gohan could only muster weak gasps in response, his throat being given very little air.

"Damnit Goku, he's going to kill him! Strongest or not, he's still a child! He can't think on getting angry like you're expecting him too, he's wondering why the hell his father is standing back to watch his torture!" Piccolo snarled, tossing his weighted cape and turban aside "I don't care what you say, and I don't care if I can't harm him, I'm still going to try fight him!" Piccolo added, the dragonfires of Porunga spiralling up his forearms.

Goku was silent. Had he been wrong? "Krillin, quick, toss me a Senzu Bean!" he said, glancing to the bald monk.

"R-right." Krillin said, pulling the brown bag of Senzu Beans from his gi.

Suddenly, Cell released the grip of his tail, letting Gohan fall flat on the ground. The mutant watched Gohan struggle onto his hands and knees, a sneer on his face "Stubborn, aren't you? Very well, if your own pain won't piss you off...Maybe I need to hurt your friends?"

He dashed at the other Z-Warriors while Gohan screamed in protest. Even with Zen Kaioken, Krillin wasn't fast enough to stop Cell snatching the pouch from him. "Senzu's eh?" Cell asked, floating backward "Well these could get in my way, so I think I'll be taking them." he added. The mutant landed my Gohan, crushing the bag in his purple fist.

"Agh! What are you doing?!" Gohan yelled, getting to his feet, his teeth clenched "Stop trying to get me mad, I won't be able to control myself!"

Cell gave a titter of laughter and turned to the Z-Fighters gathered on the rocky hill "Well...I'll have to hurt your friends and get you mad, just to see what truth there is to that statement." Gohan snarled and leapt at Cell, only for the creature to spin around and kick Gohan back into the dirt "Come on, if you want to get pissed at me then you should go all the way!"

Suddenly a pair of strong arms wrapped around Cell's waist, restraining his arms to his sides. "Ngh, 16?! Release me at once!" Cell roared, glaring at the lumbering machine.

16 ignored the so-called Perfect lifeform, shouting out to the other Z-warriors "I'm sorry it has come to this my friends, but I see no other options! I plan to detonate myself along with Cell with my self-destruct device!"

"Wh-what?!" Cell spat. If the explosion were big enough, powerful enough...well it could eliminate his all of his cells, nullifying his regeneration...

16 gave a growl, prepped to blow both of them to kingdom come...But nothing happened, not one thing. "Ngh...Wh...What? Why can't I activate my self-destruct device?!" 16 yelled, looking frantically. Cell's worried expression grew into something more malicious.

"16, you can't self-destruct because Bulma's father removed the bomb in your chest!" Krillin yelled from his position across the wasteland. 16 whipped his head around, his eyes while robotic were capable of conveying such emotion and horror "When he was repairing you, he saw the bomb in your chest...He thought it was out of place so he removed it!"

A haughty laugh escaped Cell's lips "Ohh...Sorry to hear that 16. Well we can't all be winners." Cell remarked. His stinger jammed into 16's stomach, forcing him to grunt and release his grip. Cell's hand show forth and in one spectacular bolt of energy he reduced 16 to scrap metal and a disembodied head. Before 16's cranium could hit the dirt, the mutant swung a foot up and kicked him away like a football, his head bouncing off the rocks until it neatly landed at Mr. Satan's feet.

He glanced back to the crowd once he made the field goal "Now then..." he mumbled, counting the group "Ten of you. Simple." Cell replied. His tail tip opened wide and the machine mutant gave a grunt. Suddenly several disgusting little...things were shot out of the open tail tip, ten miniature versions of Cell the only difference being their stature and their skin being pale blue instead of their father's forest green.

"What...Are they?" Piccolo asked, his facial expression a mixture of shock and revulsion.

"Ah..." Cell began, looking to his chittering offspring "Cell Juniors, attack that group on that hill. Hurt them, kill them if you want, I hardly care."

The ten Cell Juniors gave a chorus of gleeful cackles and swooped skyward, launching themselves at the Z-Warriors who all entered into their fighting stances.

* * *

"Problematic, very problematic." Midgyo tutted, watching his monitors. He'd set up a link to 16's systems so he could monitor everything that had happened to his body. In the span of a nanosecond, everything from the neck down had gone offline.

"Well...better get to work on creating the new body."Midgyo mused, walking over to another computer bank, passed a computer chip he had designed which was constantly copying 16's memories, effectively making a duplicate of his 'brain.'

He typed in several commands to his advanced machinery, an army of metal hands getting to work using the reverse-engineered Big Gete Star technology Midgyo had worked on, working on creating a duplicate of 16's body. More powerful, sturdier and with better energy manipulation capabilities along with a touch of regeneration. Very potent indeed.

* * *

A Cell Junior had targeted each warrior individually, and right now it seemed Frieza was the only one capable of matching one toe-to-toe as Goku had spent his energy against the father of these stumpy bastards.

Krillin was pushing his speed with Zen Kaioken to the upper-limits, but even then he had to focus solely on dodging attacks and could make no accurate counter, as was the case for Tien and Yamcha who were gradually being forced backward by their opponents who cackled wildly as they swung out their punches and kicks.

A lucky kick and Krillin was sent flying back. With an amazing speed he was suddenly behind the monk, kneeing him face-first into the earth. Tien managed to narrowly sidestep one strike and elbowed his Cell Junior in the back of the skull. The midget yowled, but quickly righted himself and shoulder-charged Tien through a large mound of stone. Yamcha delivered a powerful palm-strike to his foe, shattering his nostrils and making him shriek like a pained monkey, before catching his arm and shapping it at the elbow, making Yamcha howl like the wolf he based himself on.

"Yamcha!" Inyon yelled in shock, distracted just long enough for her foe to roundhouse kick her into the air, followed up by a powerful bolt of yellow light, the ensuing blast sending Inyon hurtling even further away.

The Junior that had targeted Slak gave a cackle and flung a punch, but was confused when all he hit was smoke. From the darkness, Slak's arm stretched out as if it were rubber, knocking his foe in the cheek and sending him hurtling away in a daze. The Cell Junior righted himself and fired out a red ki beam, just as Slak went to swerve. The beam struck him at the right shoulder, and Slak howled as his entire right arm was blown off by the blast. He righted himself and glared at his snickering foe "I'm not out yet." Slak growled.

Vegeta landed three powerful punches in rapid succession to his foe's face, bloodying his face up and making him snarl in irritation. He swooped under Vegeta's fist and knee'd him in the diaphragm. The prince was winded and stumbling backward. Taking advantage of Vegeta's daze, the offspring began cackling and delivering flurries of punches and kicks to Vegeta's face and torso, making him stagger backward.

Trunks managed to slam both his fists down onto one Cell Junior's head, smashing him through the rock below. He started firing rapid bolts of golden ki down the chasm his foe had formed, widening it and causing geysers of ki to blast skyward. The split second he stopped firing, a battle damaged, pissed off Junior burst from the ground, slamming both feet into Trunks' face and sending him flying and crashing into a large spire of stone.

Goku was yelling in agony, getting kicked about like a ragdoll by his own foe. He'd blown too much power against the real Cell, could barely raise a defence against this creature! Two small feet connected with his jaw and sent him tumbling backward into a heap on the rocky ground.

Frieza's arms moved like blurs, blocking all incoming strikes from the little bastard who had decided to test himself against the former prince. He deflected one punch and elbowed his Cell Junior away, only for him to bound back and rapidly punch Frieza repeatedly in the ribs, making him stagger back and snarl in pain. He shot a knee up and launched his Cell Junior into the sky, then a flash of red escaped his glowing ruby eyes. The Cell Junior shrieked as his flesh was stripped from his bones by the powerful eye beams, and then his bones themselves were turned to nothing by the attack.

The two Juniors who had been kicking Yamcha and Tien about broke off at their siblings death shriek, launching themselves at Frieza. Despite his best efforts, he simply couldn't fend off the attacks of two of the beasts, and they started smashing him around throught he sky, like a brutal game of pinball, before one elbowed him into the earth with a thunderous crash.

One of the creatures loomed over the briefly downed Frieza, forming a miniature Supernova on one finger. he gave a snicker, ready to launch the ball, but suddenly he was struck from behind by a plume of jade fire. The creature began shrieking and thrashing about, his flesh beginning to melt like plastic, and no matter how hard he tried the poor sod just couldn't beat the flames out. Eventually he fell to earth as a puddle of molten sludge, which then too became nothing. "S-Slak...?" Frieza asked, sitting up. To his shock the one who saved him wasn't Slak, but Piccolo, who was holding his foe in a choking grip with one hand and holding out a flaming jade fireball with the other.

A second Cell Junior smashed himself into Piccolo's ribs, making him howl and release his own foe, the two Juniors now mashing themselves into Piccolo and beating him backward.

Gohan gave a beastial growl, hearing the yells of Piccolo and Goku as the Cell Juniors thrashed them about like ragdolls. "Hm. You better get angry quickly. Your friends may have killed two of my children, but it's only a matter of time before they're all overwhelmed. Their speed is so grand, that if they manage to get one hit on they'll never stop punching." Cell remarked.

* * *

Across the dusty wasteland, Hercule and his camera crew were looking on in shock "Th-this is insane..." Hercule choked out in shock.

"W-we need to get out of here while we still can!" his reporter ally yelled out, sweating profusely in fear.

Just as they went to leave however, 16's decapitated head spoke up "WAIT!" the group stopped in shock, peering down at the talking head "Before you go, I need you to get me close to that boy over there." he explained.

"W-what?! Are you out of your mind? He's standing right next to Cell!" Hercule exclaimed.

16 managed a smile despite his current situation "Don't you want to be a hero? I expected the world martial arts champion to be brave."

Hercule grimaced. "Fine, I'll do it. If I run away now, I'll wind up as a laughing stock." he said, calling on all his courage and plucking the android's head up and starting to sneak along.

* * *

Yamcha was howling in pain, his foe stomping on his broken arm. Inyon was pinned beneath her own foe's feet and their crushing force. Vegeta gave a grunt getting kneed in the face every time he tried to stand up.

Cell briefly glanced to Gohan, tears running down his face, and gave a grin _'Just one more push...'_ He looked back to his offspring "That's enough playing around! Kill them!"

Just as Cell said this, 16's head clattered noisily and landed between Cell and Gohan. "S-sixteen, is that...you?" Gohan asked in disbelief.

"Gohan...Let it go." 16 said simply "There is no sin in fighting for what is right. There are those who words alone will not reach...Cell is such a being." he paused, Gohan trembling slightly "I know how you feel. You are gentle, you don't like to hurt. I know, for I too feel such feelings. But because you cherish life, you must protect it."

Cell gave a disgusted snort "This sentimental nonsense grows tiresome." he remarked, clanking over to the android's cranium "So nice that you want to help draw out Gohan's power, but we're going to do things my way."

16 managed to smile at Gohan "Please, let go of your restraints. Protect the world I love. You have the strength, my scanners have sensed it. Just...Let it go..." those were 16's last words, as Cell's monstrous foot came crashing down, splattering 16's artificial skull.

Gohan's eyes widened. The light on 16's computer chip went blank.

Before Cell could gloat, Gohan released a primal yell to the heavens. His aura flared to life, illuminating the battlefield golden in it's light. His hair shot up, becoming spikier and even more rigid. Lightning sparked around his whole body, and his power grew so vast that it dwarfed the ki of all those around him.

"He's...changed..." Cell muttered dumbly.

"I'm going to make you pay. For everything you've done." Gohan growled. He moved like the lightning surrounding his aura, snatching the Senzu's from the machine mutants hand. Before Cell could snatch them back, Gohan had already dashed to the Cell Junior flock. He ploughed his fist through the skull of the Cell Junior looming over Krillin, his headless body landing with a thud. The shock caused all the other Juniors to look away from their foes in shock.

Seeing an opportunity to strike, Trunks transformed into his Ultimate Super Saiyan form and smashed both his fists into the sides of his enemies skull, splattering it too. Slak leapt up and in one burst of jade fire he completely immolated his own enemy.

In the span of a few seconds, Gohan had torn apart the remaining Juniors with his bare hands, leaving them splattered about. Everyone was shocked, none moreso than Cell.

Goku gave a weak, pained laugh "Hehe...Take that Cell. Told you he was stronger than you."

Frieza stood up fully, rubbing the purple bruises on his ivory skin "His strength it's...it's enormous." Frieza mumbled in shock. Gohan tossed the Senzu's to the Arcosian lord, who caught them quickly enough.

"Distribute them as best you can." Gohan said simply. He flew back to Cell and landed silently, glaring at a very fear-stricken Cell.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, the cataclysmic battle between Cell and Gohan!

-Valinar: um, yeah. Kinda has to be similar to canon, since Gohan is the only one strong enough to fight Cell right now. While Frieza is the main character I'm not going to pull his 6th form transformation out of my ass so he can steal the spotlight from the other characters.

- Nightshade1712: About as strong as Full-Power SSJ Goku.

- Rafael: When they detect Gohan's SSJ2 power level they'll be aware of how outclassed Hatchiyack is. Thus, they stay away for a little while.


	29. Loss

The tension was so thick that it could be cut with a knife, the only noises being the swirling and crackling in Gohan's newly acquired SSJ2 aura. Cell gave an irritated growl at the sight of the insanely powerful boy before him "Don't think a few sparks of electricity make you strong enough to defeat me, you brat." Cell grunted out through clenched teeth.

Gohan kept that grim mask of determination on his face "I'll defeat you." he answered simply. Cell's eyes widened slightly, though he tried to hide his worry and indignation.

"Big talk...But I'll show you just how powerful I am." he gave a roar and began to power up, kicking up a small dust storm. His golden aura bathed the earth in it's glorious light. Gohan stayed unmoved by the powerful, earth rocking display, even though his allies were being blown away.

"So this...is Cell's full power...?" Frieza asked aloud.

Cell gave a cocky laugh "Well, what do you think boy? This is me being serious." he growled, entering into his fighting stance.

"Is that all?" Gohan asked bluntly, his expression unchanging.

Cell's eyes twitched and an enraged snarl escaped his lips. He lunged at Gohan with one arm outstretched. He hit the teen, who staggered back about a foot. For a brief moment he smirked, until Gohan stood up fully again. He roared and swung again, but Gohan caught his fist and sent his own smashing into Cell's gut, winding the mutant and making him stumble backward.

In a desperate counter attack, Cell made an awkward chop, but Gohan ducked under his arm and leapt up, striking Cell in the chin with a mighty uppercut that sent Cell sprawling onto his back.

The mutant rubbed the dark blood trailing down his purple face, that seemed to grow even more purple from his growing rage "Two hits...how could two hits hurt me so badly?" he grunted to himself. "You little bastard..." Cell snarled, standing up fully.

Gohan began to advance on him, and in a bout of sudden fear Cell swung a kick at Gohan's skull. He deflected the blow casually with his forearm and proceeded and responded by delivering a kick of his own to Cell's face, sending him skidding along the dirt, whereupon he landed in a bruised heap.

"Holy shit balls..." Inyon said aloud, her jaw hanging open "A super Saiyan 2...No legends like that ever appeared...And to think it was accomplished by a half-breed."

Goku gave a small laugh "I told ya, Gohan has some amazing strength hidden inside him."

Frieza crossed his arms over his chest "Yes, well...You certainly didn't disappoint in that regard. Still..." the Super Arcosian trailed off, his eyes watching Cell scramble to his feet "Your boy has more than enough power to end this easily...Why is he wasting time?"

* * *

The news of 16's head being pulped had reached Midgyo a split second after it happened, and the replica of 16's memory chip stopped downloading data just as that happened. "Ah, a grand shame. Good thing I planned ahead." Midgyo murmured to himself.

The new body was just about finished. It looked fairly similar to 16's original body, but with two noticeable differences. Midgyo, finding the shade of green on 16's armour to be repulsive, had made his new armoured components silver in colour. Second he had made sure to engrave the Capsule Corp logo into his chestplate as opposed to his original Red Ribbon Army logo.

Wordlessly he plucked the new chip up and handed it to one of the robotic arms, which started moving toward the tank containing the duplicate of 16's body.

The chip was slipped into 16's skull and then the last adjustments were made to the new body before Midgyo pressed the button that would breath new life into his cloned android in a flourish of energy. 16's eyes opened slowly "My...I can feel my body. I dreamt that I was dead...Or is this the real dream?" he stopped and looked down, spying Midgyo.

"Your death was quite real sir, but as is this thankfully. I imagined the dragon balls could not restore a creature such as yourself because...Well philosophy and theology are such gooey subjects to get into, but I doubt an android has a soul." Midgyo explained.

16 pondered the avian alien's for a moment and slowly stepped out from the tank his body had been constructed in "The battle against Cell, is it-"

Midgyo cut him short "Still going, yes. But for the time being I believe you should stay back. Going by what Ais and Polarri have told me over the comm systems your 'death' is what gave Gohan the power he's now using against Cell." Midgyo explained. "Your arrival may well cause him to power down." he understood very little about Saiyan transformations, only that emotion is what influenced them.

"I see." 16 went silent once more, as he so often did, and then a realisation seemed to hit him "I no longer feel the desire to kill Goku...What is the meaning of this?" he asked, glaring silently at the bird, who seemed unflinching. If he no longer feared Frieza as much, he certainly couldn't fear the world's gentlest giant.

"I removed any predetermined goals your creator left for you. As of now,you have free will." Midgyo explained, a smile etching onto his features.

16 kept the same stoic expression, and then he too managed a smile. "Come, let us go to watch Son Gohan's victory over Cell." the giant said, plodding behind Midgyo as he was lead around the Snow King.

* * *

Gohan was advancing on Cell again, slow as could be. He could outrun Cell easily at this stage, why rush himself at all?

Cell's eyes widened in a mixture of horror and pain, and he felt he only had one chance to win. He had to fight Gohan in a different manner, he couldn't fight head on like a Saiyan...So he'd have to win through subterfuge like an Arcosian.

He shot up into the sky like a rocket, cupping his arms to his side in a Kamehameha stance. Gohan merely watched his ascent and the gathering of his ki. The gathered heroes stared in shock, feeling the magnitude of ki building between Cell's hands. For a brief moment, Cell's eyes lingered on Slak, who had a sphere of green fire in his hand, ready to strike.

"Soon it will descend upon us...Upon us all..." Frieza said grimly, his body growing rigid in fear.

For once, he and Vegeta seemed to have something in common "It's...It's over..." he whispered, the massive full-power kamehameha being launched from Cell's hands down toward Gohan. If he dodged, the earth would be destroyed. But with the Arcosian abilities in his body, Cell would live on.

Gohan seemed stoic, unmoving as his body was bathed in the glorious light of the might Kamehameha wave. Then at the last seconds his own arms shot up **"Kamehameha!"** he yelled, a beam even larger than Cell's shooting up and clashing against' the mutant's beam.

Gohan's energy blast seemed to rapidly overwhelm Cell's own attack, travelling into the sky much to Cell's immeasurable shock. It struck Cell, and the vast wave of ki seemed to travel into the stars themselves, until it finally vanished.

When the onslaught of power ended, Cell looked a mess. Missing two legs and one arm, all four of his cranial protrusions reduced to molten stumps...He was trembling with terror and rage. "Wh-why...Why does he have so much power?!" Gohan gave a cocky smirk, as if to offer an answer.

Finally, Goku called out across the wasteland "Gohan, what are you waiting for?! Finish him off, NOW!" he yelled out.

Gohan rolled his head to the side to look at his father "Finish him? No dad, not yet...He needs to suffer more." Gohan replied grimly, narrowing his eyes at Cell.

"W-what...What are you saying?! You're the only one with the power to stop him, stop messing around and finish him off!" Goku yelled back. As he spoke, Cell's blown-off limbs grew back into place with bursts of vile green fluids. He looked good as new once again.

Cell's face contorted and showed such rage that it was a miracle that the veins bulging on his brow didn't explode _"you little shit_...You little shit...**YOU LITTLE SHIT!"** he screamed to the heavens and his muscles bulged out to absurd, ape-like proportions. His analogue to the 'Ultra' Super Saiyan form that Trunks had developed.

The earth split and shattered beneath his giant feet when he landed, and he gave a deep-voiced cackle "Haha! No way I'll lose to you now!" he started swinging slow, awkward punches at Gohan, who was dodging with even less effort now than he had used against Cell before bulking himself up. Oh his blows were powerful to be sure, shattering whatever rock his fists happened to collide against. In the end however, Cell just lacked the speed.

Gohan dashed at Cell and smashed a knee into the mutant's temple, making Cell gag and retch, his eyes going off in different directions. He seemed to be...getting sick? Indeed he spewed up something, but not vomit...He spat out the unconscious Android 18.

Cell was as shocked as everyone else.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Cell had reverted to his ugly Semi-Perfect form. Gohan crossed his arms "How sad. Looks like this really is the end for you."

Cell's frog-like eyes were bulging from his skull "I won't...I WON'T LET YOU WIN!" he roared. His body seemed to balloon up in size, growing fatter and even more grotesque than the shambling abomination, the mutant born from the strongest races in the galaxy. Cell...started to laugh. "HAHAHA! This is the end of you bastards! In one minute's time, I'll explode with enough force to wipe out the planet!"

"Wh-what?!" Vegeta gasped out, taking a step back "Did he just say he's going to explode?!"

"I won't let you!" Gohan yelled, rapidly entering his fighting stance.

Cell wagged one of his fat, bloated fingers "Ah ah ah! I wouldn't if I were you, boy! If you attack me I'll blow up on the spot!" Gohan froze in horror. What had he done, had his folly doomed the entire world...?

* * *

"A-ah!...No way!" Polarri shrieked, watching the feed from the Snow King's video probes "He's going to blow up the whole planet out of spite!"

"What a dick." Ais growled.

"Very like Cell. A creature like him, he would rather die by his own hand than be killed by the creatures he views as being 'lesser' than himself." 16 chimed in. His mouth was a hard, thin line on his face, and it was hard to read meaning into his expression.

"What are we going to do?" Polarri asked, glancing to the others.

"Not much we can do." Ais said grimly "It'll take too long to get the ships systems started up. he blows, we go with him." she explained. She didn't want to show it, but tears were stinging her eyes.

"So this...Is it?" Midgyo asked weakly.

Polarri buried her face into Midgyo's shoulder and started sobbing openly "I...I don't wanna go!"

* * *

"BWAHAHA! THIRTY MORE SECONDS!" Cell bellowed out, his fat gut expanding every second. Now he was even larger than the 'ultra' form he had used earlier.

The others said silent prayers, needing some sort of miracle to save them from this nightmare. Gohan smashed the earth with his fists, cursing his earlier stupidity and arrogance. Vegeta had made the same mistake and allowed Cell to gain his perfection, why was he such a fool that he didn't learn from the past?!

Goku, quite calmly, looked back to all the friends and allies he had gathered over the years. Friends and rivals, some who had been with him since he was but a boy. He smiled warmly at all of them.

His friends looked at him in shock. How could he smile now of all times? "G-goku, what are you doing?" Krillin asked.

"Sorry guys, but...This is the only way I can think of to save the Earth." Goku answered. He placed two hands to his brow "Bye you guys."

By the time they realised what Goku was planning, it was too late. Krillin screamed after him, but Goku seemed not to hear. He landed between Gohan and Cell and grinned at his son "You did great son, I'm real proud of you."

Gohan blinked in shock "F-father?" he asked in shock.

His hand rested on Cell's gut "Tell your mother I'm sorry." Goku said. And then in a flash the two were gone, spirited away by instant transmission.

* * *

"AGH! GOKU ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" King Kai yelped, he and his two housemates jumping back with him.

Goky gave a nervous laugh, his feet resting on the familiar grass of King Kai's planet "Sorry King Kai, this is the only place I could think to bring him." he answered simply.

Cell gave a monstrous, garbled roar as he finally exploded, taking Goku, King Kai, Bubbles the Monkey, Gregory the cricket and King Kai's planet with him...

...And inadvertently released another horror into the galaxy.

* * *

Piccolo lowered his head slowly, releasing a small exhale "It's done, Goku's ki has gone..." he said simply. The others lowered their heads, in silent prayer for the noble hero who died for the Earth.

"Father!" Gohan screamed out, futily punching the earth. He did this, he caused his father's death because of his own hubris "Shit! Shit! SHIT!"

Frieza gazed at where Goku had stood a mere moment ago...Where had he taken Cell? hardly mattered he supposed. What mattered was that it was over. The Super Arcosian said a silent prayer to...whatever gods were listening, to treat Goku with respect. A true hero, until the very end. Finally he, Inyon and Slak followed behind Trunks and Vegeta to rejoin the others.

Krillin moved over and placed a comforting hand on Gohan's shoulder "Hey come on man...It's over. You and Goku finally finished it."

Tears welled in Gohan's eyes, and Frieza saw that despite the fearsome visage he displayed earlier, he hadn't grown that much from the scared child on Namek. "It's my fault, if I had just done what dad said and killed him, dad would still be around."

Krillin helped him stand "Come on, let's get you home." he walked over and picked up Android 18 "Goku seemed happy, in the end. Getting to see you so strong." he said, managing to smile at his little buddy. Deep down, he was just as broken. How do you deal with losing your best friend?

* * *

Goku flew behind King Kai and his friends as they flew across Snake Way "Ehehe...Sorry about getting you mixed up in all this King Kai." Goku said, looking to the halo's that now adorned all their heads.

"I can't believe you got my planet blown up!" King Kai snapped "I'm the lord of this Galaxy, I deserved more than that!"

Goku gave another laugh "That's why I'm aplogising so much..." he went silent for a moment and glanced about "So um...Did Cell's spirit go straight to hell or what?"

King Kai paused mid-flight "W-wait...Now that you mention it, anyone who dies is sent before Yemma." a shocking realisation hit him, and it chilled him to his very core "That...That means Cell is still alive!"

"WHAT?!" Goku yelled in shock.

* * *

"Is the Android still alive?" Vegeta asked, looming over Krillin "We should kill it, leave no trace of Gero's abominations." he spat.

Krillin gave a nervous laugh "Come on, she wasn't as bad as Cell."

There was a sudden explosion behind the group, where Cell and Goku had been standing mere minutes ago. Their eyes widened in shock, because while the figure was concealed by the dust storm of the explosion they could recall this intruders ki quite vividly.

Trunks, the poor boy from the future, untransformed he couldn't see the beam coming from the smoke. But Frieza, transformed into his fifth state, he saw it coming and moved just fast enough to shoulderbutt Trunks away. The gold beam pierced Frieza's once-white chest, tore clean through his heart.

Frieza fell back, blood gushing from the fist-sized hole that had torn through one of his most vital organs, and landed with a dull thud on the dark ground. His ruby eyes had shrunk in size, now nothing but red pins in a field of black, his fingers twitched slightly.

And there he laid, Cell's mocking voice being muffled into nothing.

* * *

A/N: Well, I bet that shocked ya.

- NathanX: All will work out with Hatchiyack, I promise.

-Gohandominates: I believe Cell's tail could retract in his Perfect form. It grew from his back and acted like a noose around Gohan's neck, the stinger pointing away from him.

-The Shadow: Frieza is currently 48, his race can live roughly 200 years if they stay healthy enough. Full details in chapter 19's authors notes.

- Chaoscentric: Well, Slak is a little weaker than the others. Of course, the fire magic makes him no less dangerous.

- Valinar: Eh, Cell's slightly weaker but it hardly matters. As for Cell doing something unexpected...well I hope that was unexpected enough. Cooler is presently trying to bring order to Arcos and explain what the hell happened to them. A Cell Junior...I'd be lying if I said I didn't have an idea, but I doubt I'll make it.

- Silverhawk88: Well, Frieza will have another form, but it won't show up yet. Mainly because I haven't finished the idea.


	30. Victory

"Who did I hit there? Frieza? Well, at least that takes care of the second strongest among you." Cell remarked, the dust around him clearing. He was in his Perfect form again, somehow, but he was...different. Lightning was now arcing around his body, like Son Gohan.

"F-Frieza..." Vegeta said in shock, staring down at the dying Arcosion. Trunks had plucked himself up slowly, also gaping at the Arcosian. "Why did...Why would you of all people save my son?" Vegeta asked.

The two triangular slits over Frieza's mouth slid open, and he hocked up a large glob of blood "Right...Right thing t-...Only thing to do..." he said, unable to even look up to meet Vegeta's gaze. "Something's not...Something wrong with me...Died saving a...a Saiyan...The same one who killed my father...Maybe I really am insane..." he recalled the current situation when he heard Cell's mocking laughter.

"Boy...Boy please you..." he trailed off, gobbing up more blood. Gohan, a Super Saiyan 2 once more, turned his head slightly to view Frieza "...Gohan please...Win, no matter the cost...Have to...Have to stop him."

Inyon knelt beside him, sobbing softly and gripping Frieza's pale hand "My lord no, you can't...You can't die, not you..." she whimpered. Slak was trembling, clenching his fists boldly. He couldn't just stand idly by...It wasn't supposed to be this way.

Frieza took a gasp of air, summoning up whatever strength he could "Inyon pl-Please...Please if you ever thought of me as your friend, please tell me that everything that happened from the moment we met actually happened. Please, t-tell me that I didn't die on Namek and didn't dream everything...Please..."

Inyon wiped the tears from her eyes, she couldn't even recall the last time she ever cried "It all happened my lord. You and I became friends and...and and, you became a hero saving so many people." she choked out, drops from her eyes staining the dirt.

"G-good...I'm so glad that I...Won't die...A monster..." Frieza uttered out. Those red pins that had been his eyes lost all light and faded away, leaving only black hollows where his eyes were. Frieza had breathed his last.

* * *

The group aboard the Snow King watched the probe in shock, seeing their lord and captain die right before their eyes. Polarri as weeping, shutting her hands over her eyes to muffle the sounds of her sobbing. Ais was crying openly now too, the tears glistening down her cheeks slowly.

"The planet might have been saved, but we lost Lord Frieza...I'd rather have been taken with him." Midgyo said, balling his small fists.

Android Sixteen remained silent, as he so often did. He doubted anything he said would be able to elevate their spirits. He could see the other cause for their grief however. Just what would they all do without Lord Frieza to lead them?

* * *

Gohan shut his eyes tight to fight back tears. Another dead, because of his foolish inaction. He glared at Cell and spat "How the hell are you alive again?!"

"Have you forgotten of my regenerative abilities, Gohan?" Cell asked "I was able to regenerate from a single cell, and much to my shock I was restored to my Perfect form. But, I had actually undergone a zenkai, unlocking this grand power and I even obtained Goku's instant transmission...I believe we're back to square one now, with me powerful enough to wipe you all out."

A cocky smirk graced his smug features once more "See Gohan? Your father died for nothing. If anything he only succeeded in making me stronger...Once again, I'm the apex predator of the entire universe."

"BASTARD!" Slak roared, emerald fire coiling up into one hand "It wasn't supposed to be this way!" he roared, preparing to fling his fireball at Cell.

Quick as a flash, Cell had shot two fingers forth and fired a small orb or purple ki at Slak. The ball of energy struck the Namekian in the chest and smothered him in a powerful explosion, launching him away until he smashed into a boulder in the distance. "Hmph. I haven't forgotten how dangerous those flames of yours are. And I'd advise you stay your hand if you don't want to end up the same way, Piccolo." Cell growled.

Slak was alive, barely. A large chunk missing from his abdomen, one of his arms hanging on by a few charred strands of flesh at the elbow. "Ngh...N-no...Stop him, have...have to..."

At this, Gohan gave an enraged yell and dashed at Cell, their fists colliding at the same time and shattering the earth beneath them in a mighty shockwave. They started punching eachother skyward, moving so fast that none on the ground could even follow their motions, only faint afterimages and shockwaves in the air.

Gohan's elbow struck Cell in the nose, sending his foe hurtling through several spires of rock which collapsed into piles of dusty debris from the force behind the impact, but with Instant Transmission Cell was straight behind the boy once more, his fist striking Gohan almost a hundred metres away.

Cell raised a finger up and started firing a barrage of Death Beams, the bolts of ki passing through afterimages and striking distant mountains, vapourising their peaks on every impact. "Stand still you brat!" Cell snarled.

Gohan moved swiftly and formed an orb of ki in one hand, promptly flinging it in an arc toward Cell. It struck Cell's hand, causing the mutant to hiss in pain once the exploding energy bolt charred his hand from purple to a crispy black. the half-Saiyan dashed forth and slammed his fists into Cell's stomach, the bio-android gagging from the shock and the pain.

Enraged, Cell brought his elbow crashing down on Gohan's face, sending him soaring down. In a flash he was behind Gohan once more, delivering a swift roundhouse to Gohan's face which sent a spurt of blood into the air as Gohan soared back across the horizon.

But as he flew back, Gohan managed to move his hands up to his forehead and started gathering ki as quick as he could **"MASENKO!"** he roared, a beam of gold light launching from his raised hands. It crossed the distance at a shocking pace, catching Cell in a powerful explosion that sent Cell crashing to earth, forming a deep crater where he landed.

Gohan got up, inspected the damage that his own crash landing had done to his gi. Missing most of the top half gone, but it could be worse. He glared at Cell from the distance which seperated them, watching Cell drop into a fighting stance "You little shit...I'll destroy you, and this entire worthless planet!"

Across the wasteland, the surviving Z-Fighter watched with unblinking gazes, seeing the two super warriors duke it out. Piccolo however, was soon distracted by Slak's faint voice calling out to him.

"P-Piccolo, please...To me...We d-don't have much time left..."

* * *

"So, Frieza...Your moral scales are, convoluted to say the least." King Yemma remarked, tapping his chin with a pencil the size of an oak tree, his eyes transfixed on a large notebook as opposed to the Arcosian who was staring up at him in his fourth form.

"Lived a good portion of your life pillaging, plundering, enslaving and destroying planets...But in the last few years you've saved several planets, destroyed threats which would no doubt be more destructive than you if left to their own devices...You even died saving the life of someone else." Yemma glanced down at Frieza for a moment "Deciding where to put you in the afterlife is quite a conundrum, as you can probably imagine."

Frieza gave a small nod of his head "Yes, I'm aware sir. And I'll take whatever sentence you give to me without complaint." he replied. Right now he couldn't get over how bizarre the afterlife was...A giant celestial office. Folklore was certainly wrong on this one.

"Good." Yemma replied curtly "Hell is too severe, but you haven't really done enough to earn heaven. therefore, I sentence you to purgato-"

Before Yemma could finish his sentence, Goku suddenly appeared before his desk, his fingertips pressing against his forehead."King Yemma! Wait!" Goku called out, causing Yemma to stay his hand for the time being "Can you pass judgement later? I'd like Frieza to be able to see the end of the battle between Gohan and Cell." Goku explained.

Yemma raised his brows and then furrowed them in anger "Do you realise how unorthodox that is Goku? I have a job to do, and that job is judging every soul that winds up at my desk!"

Goku gave a nervous laugh "C'mon King Yemma, do me a solid here! If it weren't for me or Frieza, that line would be a billion times longer right now! just a few hours, please." Goku pleaded.

Yemma gave a growl of annoyance "Very well. Four hours, that's all the time you get!"

Goku grinned and bow to the red-skinned giant, before wrapping an arm around Frieza's shoulders, quickly using his instant transmission to reappear beside King Kai on Snake Way. The portly deity looked down at Frieza, his distaste quite visible on his face. "Hello, Frieza." he greeted glumly.

"Hello...Strange fat blue man whom I've never seen before in my life." Frieza replied, a curious look on his face. Seemed he was infamous even outside the realm of the living.

"I'm King Kai, I oversee the North Galaxy, the same galaxy you've caused so much trouble in." King Kai growled out, clenching his fists. "I'm also the best martial arts master in this galaxy!"

"Really?" Frieza asked, tilting his head to the side.

"What?! How dare you doubt me you little-! Agh, I'm not doing these shenanigans anymore. Goku, come quick, the battle between Cell and Gohan is growing alot more intense." King Kai said, turning to Goku.

The spiky-haired Saiyan gave a nod in response and placed a hand on King Kai's back, his expression immediately growing more worried with whatever it was he sensed.

"Oh man...With the energy they're building up, they could easily destroy the Earth if they aren't careful enough..." Goku remarked.

* * *

Cell gave a grin, a large orb of energy building between his cupped hands. It looked like one of Cooler's Supernova balls, crackling and humming with powers "HAHAHA! Let's see how confident you are you brat, when you get a taste of my **Nova Kamehameha!** I'll destroy you, then the Earth, and then I'll spread my wrath across the universe!"

Gohan gave an irritated growl, a Super Kamehameha of the normal blue hue forming in his hands "Like hell! I'll make you pay for all the harm you've caused!"

The power being built by the two was enormous, sending tremors across the land, raising up shattered stone into the air, lighting up the wasteland in the distinct colours behind their energy attacks. The two mightiest beings on Earth, possibly the entire universe, about to release their power in a bid to change the earth as they see fit.

They yelled out and shot their attacks forth in unisons, ki clashing and forming a massive dome that seemed to go back and forth randomly. It seemed they were dead even right now, their power magnifying and sending powerful earthquakes across the wartorn battlefield.

Across the wasteland, Piccolo stared down at Slak, who was shakily raising his good hand up "Slak, are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.

The older Namekian managed to nod slowly "Yes...We need to do whatever we can to stop Cell, and...You need to get out there to help your student. He needs you most right now." Slak explained "Damn...We have nothing to lose, right?"

Piccolo gave a nod and tightly gripped Slak's hand "Your sacrifice won't be forgotten." he assured him.

"Only if we win." Slak whispered out, gripping Piccolo's hand with all his remaining strength.A white aura wrapped itself around Slak's body, and a soft smile graced his features as the whiteness seemed to consume his whole body, the white flare of ki being quickly absorbed into Piccolo's body.

When Piccolo rose to stand again, he seemed different. Taller, by a few inches or so, his features looking slightly sterner now.

"H-holy crap..." Krillin remarked, sensing that jump in Piccolo's ki.

"His power level, it's enormous..." Yamcha chimed in.

Piccolo remained silent for the moment and glared toward the Kamehameha battle between Gohan and Cell, still in a tight deadlock "I'm putting an end to this." Piccolo growled, a green aura of ki flaring up around his body, just before he raced skyward to the duel which shook the world.

While from an outsider perspective it would seem as though the two super warriors were equal in power, Gohan was holding back. He was exerting just enough power to keep Cell's own attack at bay, but he held back for fear hi full wrath would destroy the earth.

Despite the cacophony of noise their energy blasts were causing, Gohan could still hear Cell's cackling quite clearly through the noise "HAHAHA! No chance! You have no chance!"

Gohan gave a grunt and brace his body against another shockwave from Cell's attack. _'Hey Gohan, can you hear me?'_ a voice called out in the young half-Saiyan's mind.

"F-Father?" Gohan asked, stunned to hear his father's voice "Is that really you? How are you talking to me?"

_'King Kai's given me permission to talk to you through him, Frieza's here with me.'_ Goku explained. _'You can't be afraid to hold back, not when Cell's posing a threat to the entire universe. Give it everything you've got!'_

"Okay dad!" Gohan called back, managing to smile despite the danger "And...I'm sorry. I let my feelings get the best of me, and because of that you and Frieza are dead."

_'Don't worry about it, me and the guys can have a real good time up here!'_ Goku replied.

_'Hmph, speak for yourself, homewrecker.' _King Kai chimed in.

Earthquakes raged across the planet, effecting distant cities from the force behind the combined Kamehameha wave clash. The other warriors on the battlefield had to power up, just to ensure they wouldn't be blown away by the gale force winds being released by their combined might.

All except Piccolo, who traversed the chaos with minimal difficulty.

Cell was about to cackle again, but the laugh grew into a high-pitched howl of agony as he was struck between the wings by a Special Beam Cannon, which was drilling into Cell's flesh "P-Piccolo?! How the hell is he powerful enough to harm me?!" Cell roared.

Piccolo gave a loud yell of exertion, deciding then and there to try out a technique he'd imagined ever since he started using Namekian magic. "BURNING SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!" he yelled, green fire travelling along the once-yellow spiral of his Special Beam Cannon. The green blaze struck Cell from behind and fire began to swarm along Cell's wings and arms, making Cell howl, the fire starting to melt at his flesh.

_'Now Gohan, let your power explode!'_

Gohan gave a loud yell and pumped more of his ki into the blast, cleaving through Cell's own blast and starting to absorb him. The mutant gave a garbled yell as his melting form was blown apart "I DON'T BELIEVE IT! I CAN'T DI-..."

In seconds Cell was overwhelmed, every nanoscopic fragment of his form being destroyed by the Kamehameha wave so bright that for the briefest of moments it could be seen from space.

Finally, Gohan stopped pouring out energy and the light of the world returned to it's normal hue. The earth stopped shaking, the winds stopped wailing, and large plumes of dust rose from the trenches and craters forms by the Kamehameha clash.

Gohan's hair went from gold to it's normal black hue, and he started to fall to earth before Piccolo quickly caught him "Hehe...We...We did it..." Gohan said, managing to give Piccolo a weak thumbs up.

"Yes, we did. I'm very proud of you." Piccolo replied, managing to smile at his student.

"HE DID IT! WOO, HE DID IT!" Yamcha yelled out excitedly, his voice visible even across the vast distance. The other Z-warriors quickly gathered around Gohan and Piccolo "Come on kiddo, let's get you to the Lookout. A senzu will fix you right up!"

With that the group departed, leaving Vegeta floating behind, staring at Frieza's corpse, being lifted into Inyon's arms. The ebony Saiyaness flew off silently, heading after the group.

"Frieza...You of all people...Why did you, of all people, have to be the one to save my sons life?" he growled silently, clenching his gloved fists. He lingered for a moment, and then flew off into the distance.

* * *

"YAHOO! HE WON, I KNEW HE COULD DO IT!" Goku yelled excitedly, leaping about Snake Way.

"You didn't lie, your boys strength is to be admired." Frieza remarked, managing to smile at his former foe. "Anyway...I have a request for you two." he added. King Kai and Goku looked his way, and Frieza spoke again "I want to visit heaven...To see my mother." the Prince said, folding his arms.

"Your...Mother?" Goku asked slowly "There are...girls in your species?" he asked.

"Er, yes. Why would you think otherwise?" Frieza asked.

"Well it's just...you're naked all the time, and I've never seen your...you know..."

Frieza was quiet for a moment, trying to puzzle out Goku's meaning...And once he realised what Goku was getting at his white skin seemed to turn bright red and he gave an angry grunt "They're stored internally you moron! I'm not some...Gelding! And I'm certainly not some egg-laying eunuch! I've got a dong, now shut it!" he yelled, causing Goku to step back nervously.

"Well...Shall we go?" King Kai asked, ignoring the exchange.

"R-right..." Frieza said, calming himself "Tell your friends to wait about...Oh let's say two hours before using the Dragon Balls to undo the damage Cell caused." the Arcosian said.

Goku gave a nod and made the arrangements through telepathy, before King Kai teleported them to the heavenly plane with his instantaneous movement.

* * *

A/N: And Cell is done for! Next chapter, the first time we meet Queen Cold outside a flashback, and then some other niggly shit to wrap up this saga with.


	31. Loose Ends

Heaven was the sort of idyllic paradise that many people would imagine it to be, an endless expanse of flowers which were constantly in bloom and releasing their mixed sweet scents into the air. Despite all the different aromas from flowers across the entire universe mixing together on this celestial plane, they seemed to blend together perfectly into the most wonderful odour Frieza had ever smelled.

He felt...Content here, at peace and his body felt light as a feather.

"Wow...This is really nice...Not as fun as running on Snake Way, but still pretty cool." Goku mused as the group moved through the flowers. Not human, but when Frieza thought about it he recognised these flowers as being from Planet Parniss. Long gone now...

"Any idea where your mother would be?" Goku asked, glancing about the various aliens going about the heavens, their legs being replaced by odd blue wispy spirit tails, like cartoon ghosts.

"I'm trying to find certain plants that my mother loved dearly...She had this whole artificial garden in the palace with all sorts of alien, beautiful plants, since none would grow naturally on Arcos." Frieza replied, his eyes glazing over everywhere.

Frieza leapt over a dozen feet into the air with one push of his toes, trying to get a clear view of the encompassing area. He stayed afloat for a few minutes, in an attempt to see anything familiar from the royal gardens.

"Ah, there!" Frieza said, pointing to one massive field of long, golden grass that shimmered in the equally golden light of whatever star illuminated heaven.

Frieza's purple aura flared around his toned form, and he flew off across the flowery fields to the golden expanse in the distance, Goku following shortly behind and a bored King Kai trailing after the duo.

"Stuck following these jerks 'cause they can't get back without me..." he muttered.

* * *

Kami's Lookout, or Dende's Lookout as it should probably have been renamed at this point, was at present populated by the newly recovered Z-fighters. Once they landed, Gohan looked to Piccolo "Um...Mister Piccolo, where's Slak?" he asked.

Inyon set Frieza's body down, and then looked away "He lacked the energy to fully regenerate from what Cell did to him kiddo..." she said.

"His life was hanging on by a thread, and in his final moment he urged fusing with me to boost my power to help you." Piccolo explained, staring at the white tiles of the lookout "His sacrifice will be forever remembered..." his voice suddenly switched to Slak's rougher tones "But I'm quite pleased in this mind, with the company of three other Namekians."

It was at that moment that Android 18, who had been unconscious on the tiles for the last few minutes, sprung back to life with a sharp intake of air. She promptly got to her feet, swaying like a drunkard, and frantically checked her surroundings.

She stared down the people who had been foes in the past, all vastly more powerful now going by what her sensors told her. Krillin stepped forth "It's alright, you're safe. This is Kami's Lookout. We brought you here after Gohan defeated Cell."

"G-Gohan did what?" 18 replied, looking to the pre-teen in shock.

"You should thank Krillin right now." Piccolo chimed in "He protected you from Cell after he spat you out." he added.

"Ah it was...It was nothing special, I could hardly just leave you laying there."

"Oh, I get it!" Gohan said suddenly, drawing the attention of the group "Krillin's in love with Android 18!" Krillin promptly clocked the half-Saiyan in the back of the head.

"Wh-...Seriously?" Yamcha remarked.

"But...She's an Android..." Tien added.

18 gave a grumble, and then turned her back on Krillin "So what? Are you expecting me to hold your hand or something?" she remarked coldly, before diving off the edge of the Lookout and flying off.

"Wow, what a bitch." Inyon remarked, before turning her gaze back to Frieza's body. "Why did you want to wait before your resurrection...?"

"It's okay Krillin. If you need a friend, you've got all of us!" Gohan remarked.

"Ugh...Please stop talking..." Krillin mumbled.

* * *

On the edge of the solar system, just past Neptune, Raichi's Dark Planet observed everything that happened on Earth.

"Worrying, very worrying." Raichi remarked, his gaze fixated on the various screens depicting the climactic battle between Gohan and Cell and the numbers on the sides of the screen which registered the power levels of the various warriors. "It seems that eve at 100%, you are not yet a match for some of these warriors Hatchiyack."

At this, the red robotic giant gave a snarl and clenched both of his mighty fists. He began to tremble with rage, one of the few emotions the machine was capable of feeling. "Saiyan garbage..." the giant growled.

"There there Hatchiyack..." the Raichi AI said in an attempt to sooth his creation. "We'll simply need to make some modifications and spend time gathering more ki for you..."

Raichi trailed off and looked into one large plaza in his fortress, a grin crossing his blue bearded features "And with an army at your side..." he began, looking to the duplicates based off of Unit Alpha's design "None of the Saiyan trash will be able to withstand you."

A laugh ran past Raichi's lips, and soon Hatchiyack joined him in the manic cackling that rang across the surface of the Dark Planet as it drifted away from the Sol system.

* * *

They found her sitting, or floating rather, amongst the tall golden grass, her eyes shut as if in a pleasant sleep. They landed quietly by Queen Cold's side, and her eyes opened slowly, glancing to the newcomers. "Frieza?" she asked, shock visible on her face.

"Y-yes mother, it's me..." Frieza said, almost ashamed to look at her. She no doubt would hate him if she knew what he had done once she died.

"My, you've grown so tall..." she remarked, placng a hand on his brow "Well. Not that tall." she said, a teasing smile playing on her features. Her eyes trailed up and came to rest on the halo floating aloft Frieza's head "Ah. Dead?" she asked.

Frieza nodded "Died taking a hit for a Saiyan." he answered.

That came as more of a shock than anything "You died for a Saiyan...Now that is hard to believe. Was it this gentleman here?" Queen Cold asked, pointing toward Goku. Only a Saiyan could have hair as bizarre as that.

"Aha...No Miss Queen, it was a different Saiyan. I'm Goku, a friend of your son." Goku explained.

"I'm quite shocked. Your father never wanted you to treat Saiyans with anything more than contempt." Queen Cold said, looking to her son.

"Mother I'm...I'm sorry..." Frieza said, his voice barely above a whisper right now. Queen Cold eyed him curiously, wondering what he was sorry for. He spoke again before she could ask "I...I let my fathers lessons wipe out everything you taught to me, he groomed me into his image, to be his clone."

"I figured he would do such a thing." Queen Cold replied, a hint of sadness in her voice "He said very much the same thing right before he killed me." that news seemed to shock Frieza, Goku and King Kai into utter silence.

"He...My father...He killed you?" Frieza managed to ask finally.

Queen Cold gave a small nod "It was shortly after you had been given reign over Planet Vegeta. He had invited me to talk on Arcos' moon in private, but once there he began to transform until he was in his fourth form. He chastised me, insulted me, and said he didn't want me infecting you with more of my weakness." she spat.

"He said everything I taught you, went exactly against everything he was trying to teach you and Cooler...That what it went against everything my husband's father had taught him..." Queen Cold trailed off and gave a low sigh "And he said that if it continued, you'd end up weak rulers. So to stop that, he decided to kill me. I fought, I really did, but against his Unsealed form I was nothing. He beat me to a pulp and then atomised me..." she explained.

"He...That bastard!" Frieza snapped, veins bulging up along his ivory skin, the gold grass starting to blow about wildly as his rage grew. He wanted to yell, he wanted to cry, he wanted to beat his fucking fist into his father's face forever for what he had done to his mother...

Then he felt Goku's hand on his shoulder, recalled that he was a different man now, that he...that he had friends.

"Is he dead?" Queen Cold asked, placing her slender digits onto Frieza's other shoulder.

Frieza gave a small nod of his head "Yeah. Chopped up into cold cuts and then blown to nothingness." And to think, Frieza had mourned when that happened...

"A foul end for a foul man. To think he was once a sweet man..." Queen Cold murmured. She looked to her son and saw the sorrow hiding in his eyes, an she gently cupped his face with one hand "Oh my son, my dear son...You can't blame yourself for my demise. What could you have done at the time? You were only a boy, an abnormally powerful boy yes, but that would have meant little against your father's true power."

"But I...I should have been smart enough to realise that he killed you. I suppose part of me always believed in the possibility, but I was always in denial over it..." Frieza explained,

"Even knowing the truth would have done little. Nobody would dare to challenge your father even if they knew he was a murderer. He was, after all, the most powerful man in the galaxy." Queen Cold replied, a frown playing on her lips.

"Bah, I'm upsetting myself. This is a joyous occasion to be with my son again." Queen Cold added, placing her hands on Frieza's shoulders and pulling him into a small hug.

"He became a great hero!" Goku said, grinning from ear to ear.

"After I reformed from being a great villain." Frieza muttered.

The two spoke with Queen Cold for a great deal of time, telling her about the atrocities Frieza had committed in his younger years, and then went on to speak of all the good he did since his reformation. His slate hadn't been wiped clean by any means, but Goku was convinced Frieza was a true hero. At time, Queen Cold grew misty-eyed at the story, and other times she burst out laughing at the sillier moments...But in the end she seemed content, and smiled warmly at her son.

"You're not your father, and that's more than enoughto make me proud of you." she said, patting the purple biogem on his head.

"Thank you, mother." Frieza said, giving a bashful smile. he glanced to Goku then "Well, shall we contact the others and have them wish us back to life?" Frieza asked.

Goku's smile seemed to fade "I don't want to be brought back." he admitted simply, much to Frieza's shock "While Earth's Dragon Balls couldn't bring me back again, Namek's ones can...Even so, I think I'd rather stay in the other world."

Frieza searched for any hint of a lie on his allies face, and found none "Why the Hell would you want to stay? You have so much waiting for you in the living world!"

Goku gave a small sigh "My presence on Earth seems to always attract danger. The Saiyans came to Earth looking for me, your father and brother came to earth looking for me, Cell and the Androids were created to destroy me...I just feel maybe the Earth would be safer without me to draw new threats. And besides, Gohan and Piccolo are now way stronger than me, they don't need to depend on me anymore."

Frieza was silent for a few moments, before a small snort of laughter escaped him "And here I thought you couldn't get any more stupid..." Goku seemed confused, but Frieza carried on "Who is to say a threat won't come, simply because you're not there? And yes, perhaps your son and the Namekian are more powerful than you now, but that doesn't mean something more powerful than them won't show up. In such a case, they'd need all the help they could get."

Goku seemed surprised by the passion behind Frieza's voice, but since he remained silent Frieza allowed himself to continue "But the thing that infuriates me the most about this idiotic decision of yours, is your willingness to casually abandon all your responsibilities like your wife and son!" Frieza snapped.

Goku seemed taken aback by that...How had he not considered such a thing? "Damn you, you blasted fool...You may not be the mightiest warrior around anymore, but that's no excuse to just dump all your other responsibilities. You have to be a parent and a father! My own father may have treated me like complete trash, but I'll be damned if I just sit back and let you do the same thing to your own family!" the former despot yelled, his whole body starting to tremble from anger.

Goku stood silently, a sense of shame overcoming him. He was never the brightest guy, but how could he have not realised such a thing before? "I...I guess I never thought of it that way..." Goku replied after a time.

"Your time with your child are among the greatest years a person can spend." Queen Cold chimed in "You don't want to lose those years, like I did."

"And you can't crash with me if you stay here, since you BLEW UP MY PLANET!" King Kai snapped, stomping his large foot on the grass a few times.

"Oh, I fogot you were here." Frieza said, glancing to King Kai, who growled like an angry dog in response.

Goku glanced back to Frieza, and then placed a hand on his shoulder "I owe you. You stopped me from making a really stupid decision." Goku replied, grinning like the monkeys the Saiyans evolved from. "I'm coming back to earth!" he said excitedly.

* * *

About a week had passed since everyone killed by Cell, including Frieza and Goku, had been brought back to life. Things were settling back into a more tranquil and calm period, but Frieza still had one matter of business to attend to.

The Snow King flew through the winding space of the solar system Midgyo had dubbed, 'The Shamoian Expanse', heading for the homeworld of the species he had named the Solar System after. New Planet Vegeta was long gone as the avian had also predicted, now a load of rubble floating through the solar system after being shattered by a giant comet.

Good riddance.

And the Shamoian homeworld was safe, that was a good sign.

The giant egg-shape ship landed on the outskirts of the largest Shamoian village, the little creatures gathering around excitedly to meet their saviours again. The crew who had left aboard the Snow King disembarked and met up with family for a brief reunion, in an attempt to learn what had happened since they were gone.

The flora and fauna had really come back to life since the Snow King was last on this planet, the air alive with the sounds of birdsong and the chittering insects. It mixed into a rather pleasing sound, and the smell of the flora reminded Frieza vaguely of the heavenly plane.

Piccolo and Frieza left the ship side-by-side, heading toward the village elder, who eyed Piccolo curiously "You're not Slak."

"I'm aware." Piccolo replied gruffly "He merged with me to battle a powerful threat. But since I have obligations on Earth, I can't stay here to guard your planet."

"B-but...What are we to do? We can't defend ourselves if someone else comes to enslave us!" the elder pleaded.

"We aren't leaving you without a protector." Frieza replied, gesturing to the large shadow moving out from the shade of the landing ramp. In the light, the giants body became fully visible, revealing him to be Android 16. Several of the tiny birds flocked straight toward him, landing on 16's broad shoulders. He certainly seemed happy.

"This is Android 16. He had agreed to live among you and protect your planet. And he has a device built into his head to contact us if thing get too dangerous for him to handle. Still, he should prove powerful enough." Frieza explained.

"Will you be happy here 16?" Piccolo asked.

The gentle giant gave a small nod "Yes, it is a rather beautiful, and I'm sure I can keep in touch with the Earth if need be." Android 16 replied, smiling warmly. He took a seat on one rock, paying more attention to the birds flocking toward him.

Frieza nodded and headed to the ship alongside Piccolo, sparing a smile toward 16. Good man, he deserved a happy ending.

* * *

**Cell Saga: Finished!**

Thank you all so much for helping me get this far with your (Almost) 300 reviews, they're the reason I've stuck with this fic as long as I have.

Next up, Movie 9: Bojack Unbound. What will happen in this new timeline in relation to this movie?


	32. Absurd Tournament

"...Now, your microphones ain't malfunctioning or anything, you heard Mr. Cash right. He's gonna have real live space aliens for this tournament!" the dark-haired producer remarked, his eyes glazing over the gathered cameramen and reporters. The rich old coot, Mr. X.S Cash, had decided to give his spoiled brat a freaking Martial Arts tournament for his birthday, and lied that four competitors would be alien warriors.

The true irony was he did have four aliens without realising it. Two half-Saiyans, a Super Namek, and an Arcosian who had at one point ruled the majority of the North Galaxy.

"Little Monty's birthday gift is gonna be one the whole world can enjoy!" he said, desperately wanting to throttle the spoiled little shit sitting between his rich fat bastard father and gold-digging tramp of a mother. When he was a kid he only ever got wooden trains or action figures for his birthday, this little kid got a whole freaking publicity stunt..."The richest man in the world is about to bring the biggest martial arts event in the world. But, you don't gotta' be out of this world to join in the action. Any fighter, regardless of race, age, gender or even species can join in the battle royale and have a chance to win the 100 million zeni grand prize!"

"I don't do anything small." Mr. Cash chimed in "Not only will the winner walk away filthy stinking rich, but they'll have a chance to test their strength against the greatest warrior in the universe, Mr. Satan!"

"OH YEAH! IT'S THE CHAMP!" Mr. Satan yelled, channelling a bit of Macho Man Randy Savage into his voice as he rode astride his personal helicopter, swooping over the gathered press. He tossed a capsule to earth, and from the cloud burst what must have been a hundred ceramic tiles piling up into the sky. He leapt from the chopper and drove his hand down in a mighty chopping motion, sending cracks down the tower of tiles.

His showmanship was getting better, but now his hand stung like a bitch, red and throbbing in pain.

* * *

And so the tournament began, the blue sky filled with cracking fireworks, plumes of white smoke that would form into all sorts of shapes, jets flying about in fanciful aerial shows.

The fighting itself was taking place on 8 individual mini-islands, with over 200 participants taking place in the brawling. The rules were similar to any other tournament, disqualification for fainting, falling out of the arena, surrendering, using weapons...and murdering your opponents. The winners from the 8 arenas would then move onto different battle arenas.

Krillin skilfully hopped about the battle arena he'd been assigned to, lazily knocking his various opponents off the moving platforms and into the sea below. he gave a thumbs up to the cameras after kicking another foe into the sea "That's Krillin with two L's and I accept checks!" he remarked with a grin on his face. Even as a kid he could've breezed through some of these guys.

He paused, managing to hear Chi Chi's yelling in the stands across the water "GO ON GOHAN, YOU GOT THIS, YOU CAN DO IT!" his eyes widened once he saw the battle mother in the stands alongside Launch, Bulma, and a rather bored looking Inyon.

"W-what...Gohan's in this tournament? But he's a Super Saiyan, that's no fair!" Krillin groaned to himself. He paused again, hearing Piccolo's familiar yelling, and looked to one ridge to see the Namekian launching foes into the sea. He heard a haughty chuckle on another level of his island and glanced down to see Frieza take care of a group rushing him with a casual sweep of his tail. "Frieza and Piccolo too? Sheesh, where's Trunks, let's make it a full set."

Suddenly a group of unconscious warriors landed behind Krillin, and he looked up to see Trunks grinning down at him "Aw come on..." Krillin muttered.

"Well, this is a grave bore. I expected it to be more like the tournaments back home." Frieza muttered as he walked along the grounds of his island, lazily swatting away anyone coming his way. King Cold had indeed been rather fond of tournaments, and it was one of those tournaments that led to Kanchapp getting his position. He had been a mutant in terms of power, and because of his impressive might that King Cold gave him a high position in the Planet Trade army. He clenched a white fist at the memories.

* * *

From the stands, Bulma held baby Trunks close while the child swatted at butterflies. "I'm surprised you let Gohan enter into this tournament Chi Chi." Bulma remarked.

The dark-haired woman gave a shrug "Well hes been stuck at his desk so long I figured he needed a treat. He might be fighting but at least he's getting his exercise." she remarked, smiling at her son. He looked much smarter now with hi hair cut shorter, only a few black bangs up front giving away his Saiyan heritage.

"And what about Goku? I thought he'd be all over a tournament like this." Launch chimed in, cupping at the slight swell of her stomach. Her blue hair blew slightly in the lazy sea breeze wafting over the crowd.

"That lazy slacker has ignored his housework for too long. He's finishing up some chores and then he's allowed to join us in the audience." Chi Chi explained "What about Vegeta?"

Bulma gave a lazy snort "He's been sulking ever since Gohan beat Cell, always tryng to get stronger..." She trailed off and looked to Inyon, who was watching clouds drift by "I'm kinda surprised that you of all people wouldn't be in this tournament."

Inyon shrugged her strong shoulders "Why bother with a tournament if you can't kill your opponents?" she said casually. "Still, I convinced Yamcha to join in. Said I'd give him something special if he competed and got to the semi-finals at least."

"Eh? What'd you promise him?" Launch asked. Inyon merely winked in response.

The Scar-Faced Bandit himself was busy punching and kicking foes off his battle arena, until there was only one gigantic sumo remained to face him. "I don't care if I have to fight Trunks or Gohan or Piccolo...I haven't gotten laid in four god damn years!" he growled, rushing the giant sumo and pulling his feet from under him. He swung the giant by the ankle and then yelled at the top of his lungs as he threw his foe into the sea.

**"FOUR. GOD. DAMN. YEEEEEEEAAAAAAARRRRS!"**

* * *

The two half Saiyans seemed to have barely broken a sweat as they took care of the last foes on their islands. Both had passed the preliminaries, and Piccolo had bested the foes on his island too and then Yamcha and Tien.

As Krillin was about to slip off his island, which had tilted to speed up the elimination process, he managed to cling on for dear life. But then he saw Frieza floating above him. We waved playfully, and then gave a telekinetic shove which sent the bald monk crashing into the sea.

"And Frieza has moved on to the semi-finals!"

* * *

Goku gave a groan and checked the list of chores Chi Chi had left him with "C'mon, just one more thing and I can go watch Gohan fight." he remarked, his eyes going through the lists. "Chop up all the wood you gathered in the shed..." he read aloud.

"Well that'll be a snap!" Goku said giddily, sprinting to the large shed which was positioned just beside his small Mount Paozu home.

He opened the blue wooden door of the long shed and his jaw hung low once he saw all the wood inside "Oh, now I remember...I gathered a whole bunch of trees and filled the shed to the brim with them before training for the Cell Games...Aw man, this is gonna be a pain to chop..." he mumbled, dragging one trunk from the shed.

* * *

The semi-final matches were decided then. Gohan would fight a guy who looked like a fat sumo-wrestling Chuck Norris, Piccolo would fight Frieza, Trunks would fight Tien and Yamcha would fight some guy who looked like Bruce Lee.

Gohan's battle was first, and he smiled warmly in the shadow of the giant moustachio'd blonde who loomed over him. "I'm fightin' a baby? I need to get a better agent. Hey kid, I ain't a fan of beating up babies, but the training wheels are comin' off now. Understand?"

Gohan, still smiling innocently, gave his foe a respectful bow "Yes, I understand."

"Heh. You got guts kid, and I'm gonna show 'em to ya!" Gohan's opponent remarked, entering into a wrestling the span of about a second, Gohan had kicked his larger foe's legs out from under him and launched him straight into the ocean.

On one of the other islands, Tien and Trunks stared each other down. Tien discarded his white shirt and let his prominent chest scar show. "Hey Trunks..." Tien said, his grave expression forming into a more cocky smile "Whadda you say we show the crowd here a good time?" he asked.

The long-haired half-Saiyan returned Tien's smile "Okay." he replied simply. The buzzer rang for their battle to begin, and the two immediately started zipping up the large incline of their battle island, almost too fast for a normal human to perceive. Their fists started colliding rapidly followed by colliding kicks, but it seemed neither could break the others guard.

Trunks did get lucky after a time though, swinging a kick down and sending Tien hurtling downward. He righted himself just before he hit the water and zipped back upright.

They lunged and clashed again, the collision of their fists sending shockwaves ringing through the air and rocking the sea beneath them. Tien managed to swerve to avoid Trunks fist and then drove his elbow into the young man's jaw, sending him hurtling down.

Quickly, Tien entered his Tri-Beam stance and aimed at the youth just as he corrected himself from his fall. With a powerful yell the Tri-Beam flew from Tien's cupped hands, illuminating the surrounding area and sending more tides flaring to life. Trunks managed to avoid the blast, but it struck the rocky ridge behind Trunks and the ensuing explosion lashed into his back and sent him tumbling skyward, while the ridge itself collapsed into the sea below.

Both yelled in unison and charged straight at each other. Their fists swung in unison, and they both struck each other in the face at the same time, sending each other tumbling back.

Tien turned his head and spat through the air "Alright, that'll do for the warm up." he remarked, his white aura starting to diminish. A crimson glow began to form and sizzle along his toned skin, and the triclops quickly entered into his fighting stance "Well...I have been waiting some time to test my Zen Kaioken against a Super Saiyan..." he remarked.

Trunks long lavender hair spiked upward and shifted in colour, and his body burst to life with a glorious golden aura "Well, now you'll get your chance Tien." The transformation seemed to shock the crowd, but they still kept applauding. It was like a live performance of a Sentai show to them.

The two warriors raced skyward and a blue orb of ki formed in Tien's palm, which he quickly flung toward Trunks. It struck him, but he flew through the smoke unharmed and kept pursuing. He vanished from sight and reappeared behind Tien, swinging a chop to the Triclops back. But with a quick burst of speed he spun around and then increased the durability of his arm, causing Trunks to wince from the pain of the impact...It was like punching a slab of granite!

Trunks channelled some ki into his hand and struck Tien in the jaw, sending him tumbling down through the sky. But the triclops righted himself and boosted his speed to swerve around another punch from Trunks. The Tien promptly buried his elbow between Trunks' shoulder blades, sending him hurtling and smashing into the ocean.

Tien lowered himself, smiled warmly at his opponent and extended his hand out to help him out of the water "You fought well. Still, if we fought for real I don't think this wouldn't have gone so well for me." he remarked.

"The third match is about to begin, with Piccolo taking on Frieza!"

The Arcosion stood silently across from the caped Namekian, his tail lightly tapping the ground. A chill wind ran through the battle island, causing Piccolo's cape to flutter slightly in the breeze. "Well Piccolo, I'm ready whenever you are." Frieza remarked.

Piccolo gave a small 'tch' in response "This tournament is a waste of time. A farce. You people can feel free to waste your time any more on this nonsense, but I sure as hell won't." he grunted out. His green aura flared up, and then he was flying away again.

Frieza blinked at the slowly vanishing form and gave a low tut "Well...That was rude."

"And lastly the fight between Yamcha and Sky Dragon!"

The split second the bell sounded, Yamcha closed the distance between himself and his opponent, rapidly backhanding him out of the ring and into the sea.

**"FOUR! YEARS!"**

* * *

From the stands, Inyon lazily scratched one of her dark cheeks "Huh, well he got through. Guess I better go pick up some mouth wash on the way home." she mused. The other three women eyed her with flushed faces, and then promptly decided to change the subject.

"S-so ah...So Launch, Tien's victory there was rather impressive. Has he been training hard for the tournament?" Chi Chi asked.

Launch smiled softly and gave a nod "Yeah. After I told him that I was expecting" she trailed off and pointed to the small pregnant swell on her stomach "He wanted to find a way to earn some extra money. Then he heard of this upcoming tournament and, well goodness I never saw him train so hard in all his life."

"Well money isn't the most important thing about raising a child. The father needs a strong presence in raising the child, form a good male role model. Unlike some fathers I can think of." Bulma remarked.

Before the conversation could continue, Goku seemed to materialise beside Chi Chi with two fingers pressed to his forehead "Whoo. Finally got those chores done!"

"Agh! Goku you know I hate it when you use that instant transmission thingy, you almost gave me a heart attack!" Chi Chi exclaimed. Goku seemed not to hear her complaints.

"Hey, how far is Gohan in the tournament?" Goku asked.

"About to head to the finals." Bulma replied curtly, watching a transmission across on the battle islands.

* * *

"The stage has been set for the finals on battle island two! Where our four remaining warriors will compete for the coveted spot, a showdown with Mister Satan!" The lighting increased to display some sort of replica of an Aztec pyramid, four different tracks looping off from the monolithic structure. Slowly, all four finalists were raised up on elevators toward the top of the structure.

"Gohan! I love you sweetie!" Chi Chi yelled out "You got this son!" Goku chimed in. "Not so loud you guys..." Gohan muttered under his breath.

A change in the wind caused Launch to sneeze and shift into her blonde-haired self. She stood up and loudly exclaimed "Come on Tien, kick their butts! Then I can tell this tyke in my gut what a badass their father is!" Tien's face flushed and he stared down at his feet.

From the row of seats behind that of Chi Chi and the others, Frieza could hear Ais and Polarri exclaim in unison "GO GET 'EM LORD FRIEZA! YOU RULE!"

"I'm fully aware." Frieza muttered under his breath.

"Hey Yamcha, don't die!" Inyon called out. Yamcha spun to face her, flashing her a grin and a thumbs up.

The announcer explained the new rule changes. Basically all the qualifiers would pull a number from the box and get into one of the four rocket cars, which would then take them to a unique battle stage to fight one of the 'intergalactic warriors.' Whoever returned to the Aztec temple first would have the 'honour' to fight Mr. Satan.

Once everyone had their numbers and got into the rocket cars, they waited through the countdown and were soon sent rocketing along the tracks to face their opponents. "Good lord this is too absurd for words..." Frieza growled, bundled quite tight in his car because of his long tail.

His car travelled for a bit, and then Frieza was sent crashing into one of the many streams of molten lava dotted around his arena. He burst from his rocket car and hopped onto some rocky shore, coughing and waving some ashen smoke from his mouth. "Oh great...It's Namek all over again." he muttered.

The Arcosian scanned around for any power levels, and sensed a rather large one through the large plumes of smoke. "You there, show yourself." Frieza ordered.

As the smoke cleared, Frieza was stunned at the sight of the beauty who emerged from the steam abd smoke. She had minty green skin, long flowing curly hair as orange as the lava that filled this arena, which reached down to her waist. She was about Frieza's height, give or take a few inches. She wore baggy white trousers and had a purple sash around was waist, a blue top with a white jacket atop it covering her chest. Those eyes of hers which stared deep into Frieza's own were like two carved sapphires.

"You're not one of those fake aliens promoted by the tournament. You're a real alien, aren't you?" Frieza asked, ignoring her beauty for the time.

"Indeed I am." the green-skinned woman replied curtly, raising her hands up to cover over her eyes. her orange hair rose high along with her ki. She leapt high and went to drop kick the former tyrant. But the Arcosian managed to deflect the kick and went to swipe with his tail at the alien beauty, who promptly vanished to avoid the sweep.

The alien woman reappeared behind Frieza and swung her boot into his ribs, sending the prince crashing through a large mound of volcanic rock. She vanished and reappeared above him, but before her fist could connect, a flash of purple from Frieza's eyes exploded against the alien's chest and sent her tumbling off of him.

Frieza drove his fist into the young woman's gut, sending her soaring over one lava pool and crashing into a large black boulder, but she managed to hop to her feet and dust herself off.

"Who are you?" Frieza asked gruffly.

"Me? Why I'm Zangya. A member of Bojack's Galaxy Soldiers..."

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, the battle with the Galaxy Soldiers begins properly. How screwed are they against the Z-Fighters?


	33. The Brief Invasion

Bojack.

The very name seemed to fill Frieza with images of dread. He, like the ancient Super Saiyan, the Hirudegarn monster and the 'God of Destruction' Bills, was an ancient ghost story older than even Lord Chilled's empire. Supposedly the leader of a great group of warriors from the Planet of Hera, their hubris and belief in their own might was what led to them becoming a group of space pirates.

Frieza had heard the stories many a time, the remaining few texts detailing their plunder, their conquest...and their downfall when the gods themselves sealed them away.

And yet here and now there was a beautiful female Heran standing before Frieza, who seemed to confirm that Lord Bojack was indeed alive. "The Galaxy soldiers eh? How humorous." Frieza said dryly, landing on one foot on a large basalt spire beside one stream of lava. "And I'm Majin Buu reborn."

At this, Zangy gave an icy chuckle to match one of Frieza's own "Oh you are a witty one, aren't you? But Lord Bojack's revival is all too real." Suddenly she pushed off the ground and managed to elbow Frieza off his rock spire. A bolt of green ki formed in her hand, which she promptly flung at Frieza. But the Arcosian spun his tail out and swatted the sphere aside, where it exploded against a large group of stalagmites.

He landed and swerved to avoid a flurry of kicks from Zangya, and then promptly caught her elbow when she drove it at his face. Frieza gave a yell and flung Zangya over his shoulder, whereupon she crashed through several chunks of rock before managing to land in a skid.

They lunged at each other again, and this time they both moved so fast that they disappeared from shockwaves of every blow caused rock to crumble, formed tides in the lava flows beneath them. They each landed a few clean hits on each other but in the end it was Frieza who ended the clash with a telekinetic punch to Zangya's gut, sending her crashing to earth.

Swiftly, Frieza fired a Death Beam at the Heran woman, but she managed to roll to avoid and was able to maintain enough speed to dodge the five more finger beams launched her way. She gathered an orb of ki in her palm and then rapidly flung it toward the Arcosian. It burst into five seperate sphere which exploded into plumes of black smoke against Frieza and then against the rocky roof above him,

Suddenly Frieza was upon her, bursting through the smoke and delivering a kick to the torso which sent Zangya reeling backward. She side-stepped to avoid a downward chop from the former tyrant, which instead cleaved a rock behind her in half, and she responded by driving her knee up into Frieza's face which sent him soaring back a few feet until he managed to land clean on his feet.

"I like your style." Zangya remarked, smirking.

"I like your moves." Frieza replied, returning a cocky smirk of his own.

"It's a shame that I'm going to start fighting like I mean it." Zangya said, reentering her charging stance "You deserve nothing less than my full power!" she yelled, her red aura of ki exploding outward.

"Oh?" Frieza asked in a bemused fashion.

Zangya's golden jewellery seemed to glow and clink in rhythm with her power-up. Her dark-green skin was now glowing a lighter shade, and her white coat had been blown off by her powering up. Her body had bulked and grown slightly, yet she still retained her beauty.

"Well, 100%...What do you think of that?" Zangya asked, resuming her fighting stance.

"I think...You may provide me with a little amusement." Frieza replied calmly, quickly entering into his fighting stance again.

* * *

"Ugh, desert...Man I really am sick of sand and heat." Yamcha remarked aloud, his blue karate shoes making faint tracks in the golden sand. "And my stupid opponent is nowhere to be seen."

As if one que, there was a shift in the sand behid him. Sensing the large ki, Yamcha spun rapidly and was face to face with a hulking green giant with an orange mohawk and beard, dressed in a purple vest and baggy white trousers. That smirk on his face filled Yamcha with dread, and he quickly entered his wolf stance.

"You're no actor..." Yamcha remarked, recalling the ridiculously garish outfits of the 'alien' warriors they advertised on TV. This guy seemed to be the real deal.

Rather than respond with words, Bido lunged at Yamcha and swung a punch out. With Zen Kaioken, Yamcha was able to narrowly dodge the blow to the head, and his eyes widened once the force behind the attack caused a small sonic boom and formed a deep trench in the sand where he had stood a mere moment ago.

Boosting his speed up, Yamcha lunged at Bido and delivered a flurry of rapid blows to the face which caused the towering Heran to stumble backward. Then he channelled his crimson aura to boost his might, and drove his knee into Bido's chin with such force that he was flung back a few dozen metres.

Bido managed to land on his feet and quickly drove his fist straight up into Yamcha's gut when the bandit leapt his way, the force of the strike causing Yamcha to retch up blood. Bido grinned wickedly, and then casually flung Yamcha through a large boulder.

Yamcha leapt up just in time to avoid the explosive energy wave Bido launched his way, and he quickly boosted his speed as high as he could.

He moved like a speeding bullet, pinballing around his foe and rapidly striking anywhere on the giant's body he could reach. Bido's attempts to block were all in vain, his large shambling form incapable of reacting in time against the hammering force of Yamcha's Kaioken-boosted speed.

A blow to the face wich sent a spray of blood and spittle past Bido's lips drove him over the edge. A roar escaped his lips and his aura flared to life, blasting Yamcha several metres away. He had to raise his arm to shield his face from the sandstorm caused by Bido's ki, and he gave a pained grunt "Ah hell...What is with bad guys these days transforming all the time? That's just no fair at all..."

The force behind Bido's ki then destroyed the cameras around their battle arena, and all that could be seen on the video monitors was static.

* * *

Once the screen cut out, Inyon and Goku both stood up in unison while the crowdsmae their worry and confusion quite vocal. The dark-skinned Saiyaness glanced Goku's way, her face a mask of concern "Goku, you need to take me to him, I realy don't like the way this is going."

Goku gave a stern nod in response, his normally cheerful expression growing stern "Yeah. I could sense the evil in their ki, I know they're up to something..." he sent a quick telepathic message to Krillin, Piccolo, Vegeta and Trunks and then pressed two fingers to his brow and clasped his other hand on Inyon's shoulder before they both whipped through hyperspace.

* * *

Tien had no idea what the hell was going on. At first he was going through the flowery grounds that was to be his battle arena, when he was suddenly attacked by a sword wielding green-skinned alien with orange hair.

The triclops fliped backward to avoid another sword strike and then swerved to dodge a straight stab from the sharp blade. Tien boosted his speed and ducked under Gokua's outstretched arm and then drove his fist into the young Heran's ribs, causing him to gag in pain and very nearly drop his blade.

Tien delivered a series of rapid finger strikes from his Machine Gun Punch technique to push Gokua back further, and then he boosted his strength a hundredfold to launch the Heran tumbling away with a mighty roundhouse kick.

Then, Tien quickly formed a yellow orb of ki in his hand and shot it forth, the explosion sending Gokua flying skyward. The galaxy soldier gave a yell and powered up, his muscles bulking up and his skin glowing green. It was like a bizarre analogue to the Super Saiyan form. Goku dashed straight at the triclops and started slashing with greater speed and ferocity, and Tien was forced to keep his speed boosted to avoid the potentially lethal slashes.

One upward slash managed to dig a few inches into Tien's chest and continue in an arc, sending a splatter of blood over the blade as it cut through the top of the existing scar on Tien's chest, forming it into a sort of 'T' shape.

Gokua smirked once he realised he had drawn blood, and Tien gave a grunt of pain. His three eyes locked onto Gokua in a firm glare, and he promptly powered up, shaking the earth beneath them.

"If that's how you want it to be, then fine. I'll get serious." He growled, clenching his fists. Tien reentered into his crane stance and then started to dodge once more, but after a few seconds of weaving and dodging the sword strikes he managed to catch the blade in both hands and promptly snapped the sword with a quick jerk of his hands.

Gokua seemed at a loss for words, incapable for believing his blade had been broken so easily. His shocked expression was very quickly replaced by a mask of pain once Tien's knee met the Heran's ribs and sent him reeling backward. He quickly kicked Gokua's legs out from under him and then delivered a rapid backhand which launched Gokua away and sent him crashing into the earth.

Gokua was up quickly and was now forced to fight with nought but his bare hands. He lunged at Tien again, set to impale him with ki-charged hand, but Tien boosted his speed to dodge the strike and then boosted his strength to drive his fist up into the Heran's stomach, lifting him off of his feet a few inches.

"Dodon Cannon!" the Triclops yelled, a bolt of gold ki surging up his fist and then blowing a hole through Gokua's torso. The orange-haired alien's eyes widened and he staggered backward, collapsing dead on the grass.

Tien was about to move on when he sensed another, far stronger ki heading his way. He boosted his durability at the last second and survived the blow to the back of his head which sent him soaring several dozen miles from the sheer force of the strike. He crashed through an artificial wall and then landed in the midst of what appeared to be a ruined city.

He rubbed his forehead and groaned in pain, and then turned to see his assailant floating overhead. A hulking monster of a man with green skin and orange hair, dressed in a navy trenchcoat with a black bandana holding his hair down "Hm. Seems there are some people on this planet who can provide some entertainment."

* * *

Another savage punch from Bido sent a spray of blood past Yamcha's lips and sent him flying through an artificial wall, flying out of the desert and into the ruined city Tien had also been knocked into.

The bandit flipped and landed rubbing the large purple welt on his stomach and glaring at the Heran. Even with Zen Kaioken, the bandit was barely able to withstand the brutal assault.

"Bring it on!" Yamcha yelled, glaring at Bido through his one open eye and quickly entering into his wolf stance "I'm tired of being pushed around! If I'm gonna die, I'll die swinging!"

"Good. It's more entertaining when they struggle." Bido remarked, clenching his gloved fists. A grin crossed his face and two orbs of lime green ki formed in both his hands, lighting up the surrounding area.

Suddenly a pair of gold blurs appeared in the air just beside Bido. One of the golden shapes zipped forth and drop-kicked Bido down through the dark sky, sending him crashing into a run-down building which immediately collapsed atop him.

"I-Inyon?" Yamcha asked, his vision clearing slightly.

"The one and only." The dark-skinned Super Saiyaness remarked, grinning his way. "Thanks for the ride Goku. Go see if your kid is okay!" she called to the other Super Saiyan.

Goku nodded and then looked to Yamcha "Kick some ass Yamcha, I'm rooting for you." he said, before vanishing again through Instant Transmission. Inyon landed beside Yamcha, and the two glanced down to watch Bido burst up through the rubble.

"Ready to show jolly green here how we handle things on Earth?" Inyon asked, entering her savage combat stance.

"You better believe it." Yamcha replied, before the two powered up and launched themselves at the powered-up Bido.

* * *

Gohan, much like the others, had entered into a seemingly normal and seemingly empty battle arena, waiting for his opponent. And, like the other Z-warriors he found himself being ambushed by a Heran warrior. His foe was Bujin, the shortest of the Galaxy Warriors, dressed in his long red coat and purple turban.

Gohan had been pushed back by the Heran's mystic illusions, forced onto the defence from the magical assault and being forced into the city where the rest of the Z-fighters were being converged.

He had gotten cocky however. He was stronger than this little midget without even needing to transform, and as such he didn't expect him to have any lethal attacks up his sleeve.

Then, out of the blue, Bujin shoved both his hands forth and Gohan found himself constricted by nigh-invisible wires which dug into his skin and caused him to yell out from the pain of the constriction and the sensation of his ki being drained.

"Ngh...Gotta...Do something!" Gohan grunted out, trying to focus long enough to transform, but the pain was just too distracting.

"Hehehe...Soon your ki will be gone and your life along with it...And then Lord Bojack will rule over your planet." Bujin remarked slyly, admiring the light as it played along the ki-draining fibres.

While the Energy Bonds were a very useful technique to use against singular opponents, the nature of the move left the user completely vulnerable to an attack from a secondary source. Such as right now, when Goku suddenly appeared beside Bido and kicked the small Heran in the jaw and sent him soaring through one ruined structure.

Gohan gave a grunt and fell forward onto his hands and knees, his whole body shuddering "D-dad?" he asked, forcing himself to stand upright.

"Be careful Gohan." the older Super Saiyan said, glancing to the rubble Bujin was emerging from "I don't know who these guys are, but they're not the alien warriors who were supposed to be in this tournament. They're real conquerors, and they mean business."

Just as Bujin began to charge up an energy blast he was struck from the sky by a bolt of blue ki which utterly vaporised him. Vegeta handed in his Ascended Saiyan form, his hand smoking from the ki discharge, with Trunks, Piccolo and Krillin in tow. "This is the threat you called us out to deal with?" Vegeta asked indignantly.

"Not him, he was just a goon." Goku remarked, glancing deeper into the city where massive plumes of dust were being kicked up from the brawls involving the rest of the Z-Warriors and Galaxy Soldiers "Can't you sense it Vegeta? One of those ki's is stronger than Cell was, before he regenerated."

"Hmph. Not strong enough." Piccolo remarked "Come on, let's put an end to this nonsense."

* * *

Zangya was huffing for breath and slowly rubbed the new bruise that had formed on her shoulder. She didn't understand it, she was going all out and yet this Frieza person was dominating this fight...And the worrying part was he seemed to be holding back.

In truth, Frieza was using 100% of his fourth form's power to battle Zangya, and he did have a few purple bruises on his white skin. Yet there was no doubt that he was the one winning right now.

"You can't beat me." Frieza said simply, matter-of-factly "You have no concept of the kind of power you're going up against."

"I still have one last trick up my sleeve." Zangya said, a smirk tugging at her pretty face "RAH!" she yelled, suddenly shoving her hands forth. Frieza gave a grunt of pain as the energy bonds dug into his skin and sapped at his ki "Hehe...My ace in the hole."

Frieza's eyes glowed in anger and his whole body flashed white. The earth quaked and Zangya and her energy bonds were flung away by the force of Frieza's transformation.

The female Heran gave a groan and sat up, before her eyes widened in horror once she felt the massive surge in Frieza's power level and saw the Super Arcosian emerge from the crater his transformation had caused. "With a power like that you could...You just might be able to..." she trailed off, shocked by what she was going to say "You might even be capable of killing Bojack."

"And I'm not even the strongest of my group." Frieza replied, causing Zangya's sapphire eyes to widen further. She seemed to brace herself for a killing blow, knowing full well there was no point of fighting further, not against that kind of power. A bolt of crackling purple ki formed in Frieza's hand...

...And he promptly flung it to the domed ceiling, blowing a hole in it which allowed daylight to filter into the dome. "Go, now. And Don't cause any more trouble on this planet."

"I...I don't understand...Why would you spare my life?" Zangya asked.

Frieza shrugged and walked past her "Maybe I'm just a sucker for a pretty face?" he remarked. He heard Zangya fly off, and smiled beneath his bone mask. In truth he reached into her mind when she cowered from him...And he saw the potential of a good person _'So you were manipulated by Bojack, like I was manipulated by my father? Maybe you deserve the chance that I was given...'_

* * *

Inyon landed face first into the ground from the downward kick, her body carving a deep trench in the ground from her momentum. She plucked herself up and gave a groan of pain "Ugh...Big bastard is faster than he looks." she mumbled, before glancing to the damage done to her white blouse, torn and revealing the silver metal breastplate beneath "Aw hell..I really liked this shirt." she growled, throwing the shredded remains away.

Yamcha landed beside her, and both locked eyes on the rapidly approaching Heran. The bandit quickly formed a bolt of energy and flung it toward Bido, who casually swerved to avoid the blast.

That was the opportunity Inyon needed. She dashed forth and drove both her feet up into Bido's ribs. The Heran gave a loud gag of pain, and a flurry of rapid punches sent the orange-haired alien crashing into the ground and forming a deep crater from the impact.

"Now! Together!" Inyon yelled, she and Yamcha launching forth powerful bolts of energy at the same time. The beams mingled and collided against Bido in unison and formed a large explosive dome of energy which shook the earth from the force behind it. Bido gave a dying howl as the energy engulfed him, and the power stripped the flesh from his bones.

"One down." Yamcha remarked, falling back into a sitting position from the exertion.

Suddenly Tien's unconscious body crashed into the ground, and roused both warriors to attention "Hmph, and there's one of yours down too." Bojack remarked.

"T-Tien!" Yamcha exclaimed, crouching before his former rival "He's...He's breathing, but he'll need a Senzu..." he said, looking at Inyon over his shoulder.

Bojack was about to rush the group, when the rest of the Z-Fighters arrived behind him. He turned slowly, and his gaze settled on Goku "You're King Kai's student, Goku, right?" he asked, his voice a low menacing growl.

Goku kept a stoic expression "And so what if I am?" he asked.

"Well, it's you I have to thank for freeing me from my seal. When you destroyed King Kai's planet and the fat bastard along with it, my gang and I were free to rampage once more." Bojack explained, undoing his black coat and his bandana, before tossing them away.

"Oh, look at that. A threat that would have arisen regardless of whether or not you were here." Frieza said sardonically.

"You don't need to brag." Goku said, pouting at Frieza.

"Now then, which of you will be the first to die..?" Bojack asked, growing bored of the banter and entering into his fighting stance.

Piccolo wasthe one who came forth, casually discarding his weighted turban and cape "I will. I advise you go all out, you won't last long otherwise." A twitch of rage crossed Bojack's face, and he gave an enraged yell as he powered up, his whole body bulking in size and his skin starting to glow from the increase in his ki.

Bojack flew straight at Piccolo and slammed his fist into the Namekian's gut. His fists started moving too fast for a normal person to follow as he knocked Piccolo backward with his storm of powerful punches.

The galactic tyrant raised both his fists high and then smashed them down onto Piccolo's back, sending him hurtling downward and smashing into the ancient streets which exploded from the mighty impact. He gave a cackle then and pushed both arms forward, ki charging in both hands.

A storm of green energy blasts rained down on Piccolo, sending massive clouds of dust up from the volley of explosions. His blasts sent powerful tremors going across the ruined city, toppling the ancient building husks and shattering the ground. After several long moments, the bolts of energy stopped raining and the dust started to clear. Bojack was grinning wickedly at the carnage his power had wrought.

However, Piccolo soon emerged from the dust. The only damage done seemed to have been to his clothes, his purple gi slightly torn up on top.

"I knew that was the best you could manage." Piccolo grunted. In a flash he closed the distance and started landing a flurry of blows onto Bojack's torso. The Heran gagged and retched in pain, but Piccolo didn't let up in his assault. Bojack made a futile attempt to punch Piccolo, but the Super Namek quickly swerved around the punch and then buried his fist clean through Bojack's stomach.

He lazily flung the impaled Heran off his arm, and there he struck the scorched ground, dead.

"Well, safe to say the tournament is ruined." Trunks said, crossing his arms.

"It was a load of nonsense in the first place anyway." Frieza remarked "Bah...I'm leaving. Nuts to this..." Frieza added, pressing two fingers to his brow and then zipping off.

* * *

Zangya sat on the edge of a large cliff over looking the sea, her knees tucked into her chin. For the first time since she was a little girl, she was free, being given the chance to escape Bojack. But what the hell would she do now?

She had been captured by him when she was only a teen, after he and his gang ravaged her town. She only lived because she had an unnaturally high power level...

...And likely because she was a woman too.

She'd taken part in the gang's rampages for years, eventually just...growing to like the lifestyle of plunder. Okay she wasn't proud of it, but she hardly had a choice. She'd at least have to make the best of a bad situation.

Suddenly, Frieza materialised beside her, and the Heran beauty slowly looked up to the Super Arcosian "Changed your mind about letting me go?" she asked simply.

"Not really." Frieza admitted, sitting beside her. It looked...Awkward for him to sit in that form, to say the least. Zangya gave a small 'tch' and looked back to the sea lapping at the face of the cliff.

"Then why are you here?"

Frieza shrugged his shoulders "You and I are more alike than you realise. Both of us, innocent at one point. Corrupted and manipulated by a malevolent bastard...I was given a second chance and I had been worse than you. You deserve a second chance at life, free to make your own choices."

Zangya brushed some orange bangs from her eyes and slowly looked to the Arcosian "I...Well, thank you...But why would you take a risk that I'd change my ways?"

"Well...The people on Earth are quite protective of their planet. And some of them are even stronger than I...If you were to try to go back to your old ways, they would stop you." Frieza replied.

"Makes sense." Zangya replied.

"Come on then." Frieza said, standing upright and extending a hand to Zangya to help her to her feet.

"Come on what?" Zangya asked, dusting herself clean and shyly glancing up to the Arcosian who had spared her life.

"I have a spaceship where you can stay. Good beds, plenty of room, and food that...Well you can keep the food down at least." Frieza replied, giving a small chuckle.

At this, Zangya allowed herself to smile "Very well, lead the way Mister...?"

"Frieza. Call me Frieza."

* * *

A/N: Next chapter...Hatchiyack saga begins.

Also, Happy Christmas to my loyal readers, since it's doubtful I'll have anything else published before the holidays where I could give that message out. Also the world didn't end this year, you can kindly thank Superman for that one. Well, it was a joint effort between Superman, Goku, Tommy Vercetti and the Rolling Stones.


	34. Spoiled Reunion

_Seven years have passed since Cell's defeat, and a great deal of things had of course happened in that timespan. Frieza had made Earth his home, feeling that he would not be wanted on the reborn Arcos, and leaving Cooler to take the throne since he was the rightful heir to the throne and all. He had allowed his Shamoian crew to return home, seeing as the Snow King would now be docked on Earth for some time now and because Midgyo had managed to create a fully automated machine crew to maintain the ship._

_Midgyo, Ais and Polarri, being the loyal servants that they were had decided to stay with Frieza on earth. Seemed like a nice enough planet. As for Zangya, well...She and Frieza had grown rather 'intimate' over the years._

_Gohan had recently started high school at his mothers insistance, but he still wasn't allowed to really slack off in his training with Piccolo and Goku around. They usually had one big training session once a month, just to keep their skills firm and their power levels high. Goku and Chi Chi had also had another child named Goten, who was now six years old...He was a much different son when compared to Gohan._

_Vegeta had kept up his training in an attempt to surpass both Gohan and Goku, but alsohad to contend with raising his spoiled brat of a son. He was nothing like the polite young man who came from the future, who now also safely resided there too, that was for sure._

_Also over the course of the seven years, Krillin and Android 18 had hooked up, and they now had a young daughter named Marron together. Thankfully nobody mentioned that their daughter shared a name with Krillin's ex-girlfriend..._

_Launch had also given birth to a daughter too, a child to be raised by Tien and herself. They had decided to name the child Bento, and much like her mother she had the same sneeze-based moodswings. Not as extreme due to the third eye hidden by her bangs of hair, it was more of a switch from cheerful to serious in her case._

_Of course, Yamcha had desperately tried to get Inyon to understand the concept of marriage, but she seemed to deem it stupid and didn't regard it worthy of doing. She welcomed the terms boyfriend and girlfriend however, that worked fine for her. His attempts to convince Inyon to have kids with him had also...not really gone as planned. Not after she saw the two half-Saiyan bastards known as Goten and Trunks in action..._

* * *

Frieza and his group exited hyperspace at the same time, everyone holding onto some part of Frieza for the instant transmission to work. Under the cover of night in the city, the group of extra-terrestrials would go unnoticed."Ugh...I don't know why Vegeta's wife decided to randomly throw this party...And I don't know why you accepted the invitation." Frieza said, glancing to Zangya.

The Heran whipped some orange bangs from her eyes and smirked at her husband "To piss you off, perhaps?" she joked. "Honestly, we need to unwind more. And to socialise more. Just force a smile and it'll all be fine."

"If you say so." Frieza said casually, wiping some dust off his purple battle armour. He had decided on a more permanant wardrobe, as going naked on Earth...Well it attracted unwanted attention.

"Is Cooler going to come?" Ais asked, adjusting her muffler. Frieza shrugged in response.

"He said he might. Lord knows he's wanted a break from dealing with those sycophants in the parliament." he replied, knocking on the front door of the Capsule Corp building.

Bulma opened the door quickly enough, and Frieza winced once his ears were assaulted by modern human music. The only earth culture he'd taken any real interest in was the classic stuff, as such modern Earth literature and music was trash to him. "Oh hey, you guys made it. Come on in, just hang your coats up there."

"Thank you kindly. Now come on little lady, off you get." Frieza said, gently jostling the small figure clinging to his back. The young lady gave a small whine of protest but did as she was told, climbing down to her feet. The Heran-Arcosian hybrid smoothed out the creases on her small powder blue dress and glanced up to Bulma.

"G-Good evening miss." she greeted shyly, doing a small curtsey. She was almost six years old by now, and had a decent blend of Arcosian and Heran features. She had her father's garnet eyes and the dark lines going down from her eyes toward her jawline. Her skin was a lighter shade of green than her mothers and her hair was more blonde than orange. The only biogem she had was a small purple diamond located just above her brow.

"Ah such a sweet girl. Glace, all the other kids are through that door there." Bulma replied, gesturing to one door. Frieza knew his daughter was...Not a fan of the two-half Saiyans. But she was a polite girl, so she'd hold her tongue. She smiled sweetly at Bulma and then headed inside.

Zangya headed indoors and hung her long white coat up, watching her daughter head inside. "So how have things been Bulma?" Zangya asked.

"Busy. Between trying to raise a son, managing a power-mad Saiyan prince of a husband and trying to maintain a multi-billion Zeni company...Well, I guess I threw this party for a little bit of stress relief." Bulma explained with a bored sigh.

"I can kinda relate. Alot of time spent either raising Glace or sparring with Frieza...Maybe a little time spent shopping on Earth. Gotta' have a good earth wardrobe if I'm gonna be an earth woman, right?" Zangya replied with a soft chuckle.

Frieza walked off and left the two women to their chat, while Midgyo, Ais and Polarri made small talk with Oolong, Puar and Turtle. He moved into the main building where the other Z-warriors were either dancing or conversing, the darkened room alight with spotlights which seemed to constantly change colours. It was on the way inside that he saw Vegeta leaning against the door frame and slowly drinking. His cold gaze met Frieza's own.

"Frieza." he said bluntly in greeting.

"Vegeta." Frieza replied, returning the gesture. They trusted each other to an extent, but by no means did they like each other.

Frieza moved into the main room, seeing the group scattered about. Launch, in her blonde state, and Tien busily conversing with Yamcha and Inyon. Piccolo in one isolated part of the room, slowly gulping one pitcher of water. 18 was holding her sleeping daughter in one arm, a bored expression on her sculpted face. Chi Chi slapping the crap out of Master Roshi after a crude remark about her wrinkles. Gohan, Goku and Krillin busily chatting...Wait, who was the dark-haired girl with the pigtails talking with Gohan?

Ah, now Frieza recalled from Goku's stories. This was the girl who had caught Gohan flying, the daughter of Mr. Satan. Gohan had been teaching her to use ki this past while, in the run up for the upcoming tournament.

"Hello all." Frieza greeted curtly, earning waves and hellos from all except Videl who seemed to tense at the sight of Frieza. Her jaw hung so low that it seemed ready to just drop off "Close your mouth dear girl, you'll catch flies otherwise."

Gohan gave a nervous laugh "It's okay Videl, this is Frieza. He used to be a bad guy, but he's a good friend right now." he explained.

Videl flicked one black ponytail from her face and gave a small nod "Nice to meet you, I'm Videl. My dad is Hercule Satan." she replied. She glanced up to Gohan, so tall now compared to the boy who fought Cell "Is it just me or are most of your dad's friends people who have tried to kill him at some point?"

"Now that you mention it..." Goku said, scratching his chin "Guess I just have that kind of effect on people!" he said, before giving a loud chuckle.

Frieza glanced over his shoulder, watching Glace and Bento chatting while they followed behind Goten and Trunks. "Ugh, look at them...Look at how stupid they are..." Glace whispered to Bento. The lilac-haired girl gave a small titter of laughter in response.

"Oh they're just boys, boys are always silly when they're that young." she trailed off, her nose twitching, and then Bento gave a small sneeze which turned her hair from lilac to amber "Still. They'll probably do something really stupid soon enough." she said bluntly, her face becoming rather deadpan.

"Kids." Frieza remarked, shaking his head. Suddenly two strong hands went onto his hips, and th former tyrant gave a yelp as he was lifted off his feet by Inyon "Agh! Put me down!"

Inyon pouted and shook Frieza slightly "No. I don't wanna..." she said "It's been too long since we last saw each other, so now I'm not letting you go."

"We just saw each other last week..." Frieza replied, scowling down at the dark-skinned Saiyaness.

"Well that's just too long Freezy-Pop." Inyon replied with a lazy shrug

Yamcha gave a nervous laugh, and then almost jumped when Zangya seemed to appear beside him "I see your girlfriend is busy accosting my husband."

"Aha...Well, you know Inyon. She's a little crazy..." the bandit remarked, tugging at the collar of his white shirt in between bouts of laughter.

"I'll have you know that I'm alot crazy Yamcha!" Inyon replied, pouting.

"Could someone kindly shoot her with a tranquilizer? Please?" Frieza asked, still being held aloft against his will. "I once ruled the galaxy, and now I'm being thrown about like a ragdoll..."

Rather abruptly, Goku received a telepathic message from the other world, changing his smile into a frown. _'Goku, can you hear me? It's King Kai...Listen, something big has entered your solar system, and it's fast approaching the Earth. There's a rather large ki signature coming off of it.' _the portly blue deity explained.

"A new threat huh! Well, it's about time, it's been like seven years since anything happened." Goku said aloud, grinning to his allies.

Videl tilted her head and then glanced to Gohan "Is...Your dad talking to himself?" she asked.

"He ah...He does that sometimes, he's just...talking to a blue man who lives in heaven." Gohan explained, fully aware of how insane he sounded.

"I believe you." Videl teplied flatly. Really, it was the least bizarre thing she'd heard or seen since she started training with the Son family.

A scowl crossed Frieza's face, and he quickly wriggled from Inyon's grasp before heading to the nearest window "I wonder...What sort of horror will await us this time...?"

He saw nothing at first, and then slowly, ever so slowly, it began to appear. Thick plumes of dark purple fog, spreading like a web over the streets, coiling up into the air, becoming thick enough that a person could barely see past their own nose. The others all gathered around the windows, curious and afraid by what they were seeing. "What...is it?" Bulma asked finally.

"A bio-weapon. Some form of...Deadly poison gas by my reckoning." Frieza replied casually, his garnet eyes glazing over the windows.

"Destron gas." Vegeta said, scowling "My father told me all about it, a remnant from the Saiyan-Tuffle war. Could cause cell degeneration in a subject, but the higher a person's power level, the longer it would take for the gas to take effect." he explained.

"Well how the hell are the Tuffles of all people, launching a bio-weapon attack on Earth?" Frieza asked.

"Maybe they're ghosts?" Inyon said innocently.

"That's stupid." Vegeta replied, sneering at the dark-skinned Saiyaness.

"You're stupid...And short..."

A frown settled on Bulma's face, and she quickly turned off the music and set the lighting back to normal "Unbelievable, the night I decide to throw a party and everything...Come on, we better see if this is happening elsewhere or not." she flicked the TV on, and it didn't take long for them to deduce that this was not an isolated incident. News channels the world over were reporting on the sudden appearances of strange gas dispensing objects landing in densely populated areas all over the planet.

"Okay, we need to destroy those things...But there's alot of them, so we'll need to split up." Goku said, looking over the whole group.

"I'll get to work analysing that gas and trying to find a way to cancel it out." Bulma said.

"Haha! Yeah, let's go get 'em!" Trunks said, punching his open palm. "This sounds like it's gonna be so cool!" Goten chimed in, grinning like a chimp.

"I don't think that'd be a good idea...I mean I'm sensing some things out there that even our dads might have trouble with." Bento said, maintaining her deadpan expression.

"That's right. You're staying here, where it's safe." Tien replied, glancing at the children. "So how are we splitting up?" he asked.

Frieza glanced to 18 and shrugged his shoulders "I'll go with 18. Bio-weapons should have no real effect on an Arcosian, and the same should be said for an Android."

"I'll go with Zangya. I like her hair." Inyon remarked.

"Gohan and I will head north and destroy whatever gas dispensers we can find." Piccolo cut in, speaking up for once.

Tien gave a nod and glanced to Yamcha "We'll take out any gas dispensers in the local area."

"Me and Vegeta will try and find the source of the attack." Goku said, punching his palm in an excited fashion.

18 lifted Marron up and handed her to Krillin "Watch her." she said bluntly. Krillin placed a hand into his newly grown mop of black hai and scratched in a nervous fashion.

"Well, let's get a move on." Frieza said, moving for the door.

* * *

Meanwhile, in his Dark Planet floating high above the world, Raichi watched everything that transpired. And he allowed himself to smile.

"Phase one, complete."

* * *

A/N: The Raichi Saga kicks into high gear next chapter,when the Tuffle AI launches his assault on the Saiyan race. But just what is Raichi's true plan?


	35. Surprise Guests

_The Snow King, one month after the Bojack incident._

_Frieza's three-pronged feet moved silently through the expansive labyrinth of corridors that ran throughout the entirety of his egg-shaped ship. "Has she gone running off?" he asked aloud. The former tyrant had been heading to the guest chamber to tell Zangya that it was about time for dinner but the orange-haired girl wasn't in her room._

_He'd been exploring for a time now, and still he hadn't found her. He'd spent some time getting to know her and her past life, and he got the feeling she really wasn't a bad girl, so she wouldn't just run off and go back to a life of crime. There was the possibility that she had lied to him about every detail she had told him, but Frieza always thought of himself as quite skilled at telling lies from truth._

_"Oh to hell with it." Frieza said, pressing two fingers to his brow and scanning through all the energy signatures on the ship until finally he locked onto Zangya's "Ah. There you are."_

_With but a thought he whipped through hyperspace after the Heran, and found himself inside the training room of the ship, a massive and sudden shift in gravity almost causing him to double over...and a sucker punch to the jaw sent him crashing across the room._

_"O-oh my goodness! You just...Appeared there! I'm so sorry!" Zangya exclaimed, pressing her hands to her face. Frieza gave a small groan and sat up, rubbing where she'd slugged him on his right eye._

_"I suppose I should have seen that coming...ow...What are you doing here?" Frieza asked, getting to his feet._

_"Training." Zangya said, figuring that would have been obvious. Her lime-green skin was slicked with sweat, and her hair seemed slightly frazzled from the exertion "I wanted to challenge you to a rematch at some point." she admitted._

_"Hm...Is that so?" Frieza asked, allowing himself to smirk at the Heran. "Well then...How about I help you with your training?" he asked, entering his fighting stance._

_Zangya gave a small scoff at that "Hmph...It defeats the purpose of me getting strong enough to beat me if you get stronger from my training..."_

_Frieza maintained his cocky smirk "C'mon, it'll be fun..."_

_"Oh very well..." Zangya said finally._

_So the two clashed, keeping their power levels relatively similar, delivering blows that would leave no lasting damage on their foes. They clashed for well over an hour, forgetting entirely on food and focusing entirely on the fight. And when they finished they agreed to meet up the next day for training, and the day after that and the day after that, every day at the same time for two whole months._

_Eventually, well...Being in close proximity for so long led to a growing 'tension' between the two, and eventually Zangya suggested how to resolve this particular tension..._

* * *

"...And that's how we wound up getting together..." Frieza concluded, glancing to Android 18 beside him as the duo flew through the black mists of Destron Gas. As he had predicted, no negative effects befell them.

"Too much information." 18 replied brusquely, keeping her same flat expression.

"You're the one who wanted to know." he reminded her.

After a few more moments spent flying in silence, 18 announced "There's another one." pointing to one of the red machines atop a large hill in the grasslands. They had destroyed two thus far, and the only real challenge was the force field the gas dispensers formed when they were attacked...Quite a pathetic invasion it seemed.

"Alright. We'll take care of this one in a flash..." Frieza remarked, raising one arm up high and forming an orb of purple and white ki. He flung it toward the gas dispenser...And a red bolt of ki promptly pierced the ball and caused it to explode prematurely.

"What the..." 18 said, trailing off once she saw a trio of shadows looming overhead. She didn't know what the hell they were, but Frieza recognised them well enough. The mechanical duplicates of Cooler.

These ones looked much the same as the one he had fought on the Shamoian homeworld, but Frieza had to wonder how the hell they were here if Cooler himself was on Arcos...

The three moved like blurs and suddenly two of them were attacking Frieza while the third started flinging blows at 18. "Listen to me! These things drain ki from energy attacks and close proximities! You need to put them down quick!" Frieza yelled to 18, dodging the flurries of strikes heading his way. These were no stronger than the machine that attacked Frieza years ago, but with their energy draining that could change in a heartbeat...

18 was a bit stronger than she had been, having done some training since her escape from Cell, so she was holding her own against the Unit Alpha who had targeted her by blocking and parrying all his strikes...Yet from what Frieza understood of 18's energy reactor, she was in the greatest risk against these machines. She blocked one punch and dashed backward to avoid a tail swipe from the mechanical monster, and then with as much speed and force as she could muster she drove forth and knocked the Alpha's block off with one mighty punch, the disembodied head soaring away and vanishing into the horizon.

The two that were attacking Frieza were pushing him back through the air with the storms of punches and kicks being hurled his way. While they could never break his guard, every time the metal brushed against his skin Frieza could distinctly feel the sapping of his ki. He'd need to end this quickly...

The former tyrant gave a loud yell, hurling the two machines away. Following that Frieza rapidly fired a full-power energy wave from each hand, the blasts quickly overwhelming the machines and reducing them to atoms.

18 dashed ahead of him, fired a pink bolt of energy which tore through the green energy barrier around the Destron Gas dispenser and blew the machine itself to bits. Gradually, the plumes of smog vanished away, and the air became a little more breathable.

"Well...That was interesting." 18 said flatly.

"I have to wonder how the others are fairing against these things..." Frieza mused.

* * *

"...So then he says, come on honey our kids won't be like that, but what the hell does he know about kids with Saiyan DNA?" Inyon said, repeatedly curb-stomping one of the machines into the dirt. "And another thing, what the hell is marriage? Saiyans don't even have that! You kinda just...Pick a mate, see how that works out, and roll with it."

"Humans are fans of spectacle, from what I've seen..." Zangya lazily replied, catching one Alpha by the tail and flinging him into the ground with enough force to create a very sizeable crater. She never did get that rematch with Frieza, but she sure as hell was stronger than before...

"Look, maybe you should just humour him? Marry him so he forgets about kids for a while?" suggested Zangya. She formed a red ki ball in her hands, which she flung toward the mechanical abomination scrambling to it's feet. To her shock, the machine raised it's forearm up and the discharge of energy was just...sucked up into the gem on it's arm.

Inyon gave a laugh, watching Zangya's bemused expression "Yeah...These guys drain ki. Shoulda' mentioned that earlier." the dark-skinned Saiyaness said. "Anyway...I guess the kids thing is the biggest problem...Look, I know you don't know me as well as Frieza does, but well...I'm messed up in the head, I wouldn't make for a good mother. And Yamcha...I love the guy, I really do, but he seems pretty aloof to be a father."

Feeling stiff and sore, Inyon rapidly spun around and blasted apart the gas dispenser the Alpha's were guarding, the gas cloud in the area slowly vanishing afterward.

Zangya shrugged slightly "I sure as hell didn't think I'd make for a good mother, but like all skills it's something that can be learned...Hell, think of it like a battle you need to train for...A battle that gets a million times harder by the teenage years."

Inyon huffed in response "If my teenage years are any indication, it'll be a billion times harder."

* * *

It had taken some time for Goku to home in on the source of the gas machines. While they were all obviously coming from the planetoid in the sky, it was hard to pinpoint an area where he could use instant transmission to get to. Finally he found...something to lock onto. It was energy sure, but it felt like no energy source he had ever sensed before.

Regardless, Goku grabbed onto Vegeta's shoulder and the two whipped through hyperspace to reach the source of the ki...Winding up inside a large technological castle, a pale green light illuminating the area. "These are like old Tuffle ruins..." Vegeta mused.

"My my, how knowledgeable you are about Tuffles...Then again, I'd expect no less from the son of the man who orchestrated our genocide." a harsh voice called from...Somewhere in the facility. The voice echoed from everywhere, it was hard to tell the exact source.

Then a figure emerged, a figure with pale blue flesh, mismatched eyes and a bushy beard and moustache. He was dressed in some sort of mixture between a lab coat and a trench coat, the ends pointed like blades "Isn't that right, 'Prince' Vegeta?" Raichi sneered.

"I've heard of you...The Tuffles greatest scientist, Dr. Raichi!" Vegeta spat, pointing to the figure sitting crosslegged in the air.

"In the flesh...Or I would be, if you filthy savages hadn't massacred our great race!"

Goku seemed slightly puzzled "Tuffles...Oh, the guys who lived on the same planet as the Saiyans and then got wiped out by them?" he asked aloud. Vegeta rolled his eyes and then gave a nod. "So then...How is he here?"

"I'm an A.I based on the brain of the original Dr. Raichi. And I am the one who must carry on his quest for revenge against the Saiyans." Raichi explained.

Goku scowled and entered into a fighting stance "And why did you have to involve the earth in this?"

"Every Saiyan I could find in the Galaxy now calls Earth home. I have no interest in whether or not these earthling primatives live or die, they are a mere percentage on the number of lifeforms in the galaxy, on a speck of rock that just so happened to have the conditions necessary to hold life. The universe would not suffer from their loss, nor would it gain anything from their continued existence." Raichi growled out, his red eye glinting with malice.

Vegeta gave a scoff and immediately transformed into a Super Saiyan, illuminating the chamber with his golden light. Goku was very quick to replicate his action, transforming and amplifying the golden glow even further. "If you think a stupid computer glitch like you can stop the wrath of the Super Saiyans, you're not the genius the history books made you out to be."

"It's not me you need to worry about, Prince." Raichi spat. Suddenly the ground under Goku and Vegeta's feet began to rumble violently, and then it exploded out from beneath them. Hatchiyack swooped up, the gems on his body glowing with stolen ki. Before Vegeta could react to the red giant bursting up from underneath him, one of Hatchiyack's fist struck his cheek and sent him smashing through one wall of the chamber and into a darkened chamber filled with criss-crossing metal beams.

"Vegeta!" Goku exclaimed. He leapt at Hatchiyack and drove his heel into the machine's face, and while the blow was enough to stagger Hatchiyack slightly, he was quick to respond by gripping Goku's dark blue boot and flinging him through the hole he had smashed Vegeta through, Goku being embedded within one of the metal beams from the force.

Dr. Raichi smirked, watching the screens displaying his machines attacking the Z-Fighters across the world. "Have fun, but not too much fun Hatchiyack. Some of my equipment is rather fragile."

His mismatched eyes homed in on the screens again, and his smirk grew into a full-blown grin _'That's right, keep expending your energy fighting my drones. All you're doing is making Hatchiyack even stronger...'_

* * *

"Grah! How many of these damn things are there?!" Piccolo snarled, weaving around the volleys of death beams being launched his way by the mechanical monsters. Thus far, 15 of the machines had moved in to battle Gohan and his former master. Right now, four of them were advancing on Piccolo, and the others were all ganging up on Gohan who was in his SSJ1 form right now.

"I dunno! There's something about them, it seems...I dunno how to describe it, it's like they're affecting my ki!" Gohan called back, delivering a strong downward elbow strike to one Alpha's skull, shattering it apart on impact and sending the lifeless lump of metal crashing to the earth.

Three others had managed to move behind Gohan and struck him in the back all at once, the combined force of their attacks sending Gohan soaring downward, forming a deep trench in the earth from the force behind his impact.

As Gohan managed to scramble to his feet, Piccolo landed silently beside his former student "We can't afford to waste more time with all this gas around. Power up Gohan." Piccolo said. The half Saiyan nodded, and the Alpha's seemed to pause in anticipation. All according to plan...

The auras of the two warriors exploded outward, shattering the earth beneath their feet and sending lightning spiralling into the air. While they couldn't quite see it, the machines started to 'drink' in their auras, stray wisps of the light being soaked into the glowing gems located across their mechanical bodies. Piccolo, now at 100%, and Gohan in his SSJ2 form, both warriors glared up. They moved so fast they became effectively invisible, tearing the Alpha's to bits with their bare hands, sending out discharges of ki to destroy their bodies...If only they understood the damage they were doing.

Finally, Gohan formed a sparking ball of blue energy in his palm and flung it at the gas dispenser, swallowing it up in a mighty explosion, destroying it entirely.

"Phew...That's that done." Gohan remarked.

Piccolo gave a grunt and shook his head "I just hope Goku and Vegeta get to the source of this quick and put an end to it..."

* * *

A loud yell of pain escaped Goku's lips, feeling Hatciyack's foot swing into his lower back, sending him upward like a football and crashing through several metal beams "ALL SAIYANS MUST PERISH!"

Vegeta managed to swoop down and drove both his feet into Hatchiyack's face, causing the giant to stagger backward, grunting in pain. "Shur your mouth you Tuffle piece of trash!" he spat, his legs moving like blurs as he repeatedly struck the red giant in the face.. Vegeta gave a loud yell and swung both his fists down, striking the gem in Hatchiyack's forehead and sending his flying a few metres backward.

Wisps of green and black ki were suddenly sucked toward the gems on Hatchiyack's arms, and he gave a drawn-out snarl as he flung himself toward Vegeta. His fist impacted against the prince's gut with such force that it caused a bulge to form on Vegeta's back, and his eyes bulged out of his skull from the immense pain.

Goku shot forth like a golden bullet to try and save Vegeta, but once within range Hatchiyack started to pepper the Super Saiyans with furious punches, knocking the wind from the warriors and sending sprays of blood and spit into the air "I WILL KILL ALL SAIYANS!"

_'Just a little more ki, and I will have enough power to unlock Hatchiyack's super form...'_

* * *

"More of them..." 18 growled, spying seven more Alpha units shooting toward herself and Frieza. The annoyance on the former tyrant's face was...very visible to say the least.

"I've had enough of these things, I'm transforming and putting an end to-" Frieza was cut short by the familiar sound of a person exiting hyperspace via instant transmission. He turned his head slowly, and sure enough there was his older brother floating straight beside him.

Cooler gave a cocky smirk, glancing from Frieza to the incoming enemies "Hello little brother. Is this the party?"

"Ah, Cooler. How I have missed your 'wit'..." Frieza replied flatly. "Unfortunately the party had to be cancelled, invasion of Tuffle machines it would seem."

"Weren't they dead?"

Frieza shrugged "I thought so too...More importantly, they're replicas of the mechanical body you had on the Shamoian homeworld..."

Cooler's face contorted into an irritated scowl "Is that so?" he asked slowly. His aura flared to life, and veins began to pop up along his purple skin from his rising power level "Well then. I believe I should teach these gentlemen that there is only one Cooler..."

Frieza sunk into his fighting stance, and his own aura flared up. The Alpha's all paused to suck in the ki of their dark aura's, which only amplified once the two fully transformed into their Super Arcosian states.

"Shall we?" Cooler asked.

"Oh no, after you brother." Frieza replied.

* * *

_'Just a few more units of ki, and Hatchiyack will be complete...'_

The two Super Saiyans smashed into the hard ground of Raichi's fortress, forming deep craters from the force behind the collision. Vegeta, his blue uniform torn up and his body covered in bruises and wounds,was first to his feet "Damnit all...Kakarot, have you had any experience with the Super Saiyan 2 form?"

Goku got to his feet and tore off the remainder of his orange top, leaving his dark shirt covering his chest "Heh. Sorry...I've unlocked it, but I haven't practised with it as much as I'dve liked to..."

"Tch...That figures, you stupid slacker." scoffed Vegeta. He watched Hatchiyack cackling, his body glowing a pale green as he powered up. "Still...If we're to beat this damn thing, we can't afford to hold back. Transform clown, we need to stop this Tuffle bastard here and now!"

A grin etched onto Goku's face at this, and the two Saiyans yelled out in unison. The fortress quaked from the force of their ki, their hair became even more rigid, the golden light of their aura's grew even stronger, lightning became to arc around both of them. Then finally, with a flash of light compareable to the beauty and majesty of a supernova, Hatchiyack was faced with two enraged Super Saiyan 2's.

Goku struck Hatchiyack faster than the machine could perceive, rapid kicks constantly disorientating the beast and keeping him from striking back. Vegeta had targeted Hatchiyack's chest, a storm of punches striking into Hatchiyack's gut, chipping away at the thick layer of red armour on his body.

Vegeta drop-kicked Hatchiyack down through the chamber, Goku suddenly appeared behind the flying beast and roundhouse kicked him across the air. Then suddenly Vegeta was just above the Tuffle machine, driving his elbow down into Hatchiyack's face and sending him smashing into the floor.

Goku cupped his hands together at his hip, a blue sphere of energy growing between his palms, while Vegeta formed two crackling orbs of energy on his splayed arms, before pushing his hands together and forming the two spheres into one larger sphere.

"Kame...Hame..."

"Final..."

**"HAAAAAAA!"**

**"FLASH!"**

The beams of gold and blue ki swooped down toward the red giant who was only just now getting to his feet. In his panic he quickly raised both his hands and formed a dome of green ki around his body. The combined beams clashed against his barrier, and cracks began to form along the sphere quick enough, he wouldn't be able to keep this up much longer...

Despite the cacophony of noise formed from the maelstrom of energy, Hatchiyack heard the voice of his creator in his mind quite clearly "Yes Hatchiyack! Those two Arcosians have given us the last bits of ki that we needed! Now you'll have your full power!"

Large tendrils of energy, formed from all the ki that Dr. Raichi's machines had been stealing for the last seven years, began to move into the gems on Hatchiyack's body. A howl like that of a mad beast escaped Hatchiyack's maw, and his whole body began to glow violently. The ki building inside him released a mighty shockwave that dispersed the two energy beams.

Goku and Vegeta were pushed back by the planet-shaking force, and they could only stare in shock and awe as Hatchiyack's whole body began to change.

"N-No..." Vegeta murmured "With the way his ki is growing, he's growing s much stronger than Cell ever was..."

* * *

A/N: Phase two of Raichi's plan is underway. The destron gas was a mere diversion, and now thanks to said diversion Hatchiyack has become the strongest foe the Z-Fighters have faced thus far.


	36. Onslaught

The entire Dark Planet was shaking and shuddering under the force of Hatchiyack's constantly rising ki. The two Super Saiyan 2's who had been duelling him were gradually being pulled toward the increasing gravity brought upon by the Tuffle machine's energy. Hatchiyack himself had become a mere black shape inside a swirling vortex of lime green energy, raising and cracking the earth beneath him.

"Vegeta, he's going to tear this planet apart!" Goku exclaimed, trying to escape Hatchiyack's gravitational pull.

"I'm well aware of that Kakarot!" Vegeta spat "But what the hell are we going to do about it?!"

Vents of lava shot up from the shattered surface of Raichi's planet. The Ghost AI of the late Doctor seemed to have vanished from the control room entirely. What few Destron Gas dispensers remained on earth seemed to just randomly shut down and self destruct. The same with all the androids Raichi had dispatched, they all deactivated simultaneously too. What was Raichi's plan exactly?

"Grab my hand!" Goku called out,extending his arm out Vegeta, his other pressing his fingers to his forehead. Vegeta gave an annoyed 'tch' but complied quick enough. Once Vegeta gripped his hand the two Saiyans were off, ripping through hyperspace to scape what seemed to be an imminent explosion.

Hatchiyack maintained his deep, booming howls as his energy rose and his body continued it's metamorphosis. Large chunks of the planetoid's surface were torn up from the ground and sucked into the shimmering vortex of power Hatchiyack was releasing, only to be utterly atomised upon contact with the vortex of stolen energy.

**"ONE...HUNDRED...PERCENT!" **Hatchiyack roared out in a distorted voice that was not entirely his own, his pale green aura seeming to quadruple in size, the entire dark planet seeming to collapse and implode into the the now massive field of energy Hatchiyack was producing.

Then the shimmering lime aura retracted into the cancerous black mass that was Hatchiyack's body as it finally finished it's metamorphosis. Hatchiyack yelled to the heavens and spread his arms and legs out, a multicoloured aura shooting from his newly transformed body and briefly setting the sky of an entire hemisphere aglow with the multitude of colours. It would almost be beautiful, were it not for the monster outputting the light.

And there, floating high above the earth, stood Hatchiyack. He had grown noticeably taller and more muscular from the change, his body covered in more of that scarlet armour and more of those pale green ki gems scattered around his body. Two large shoulder pads had grown out of his body to add even more defence to his body.

"Ah...Excellent. And my mind transfer worked as expected too." Hatciyack remarked, his tone echoing with Raichi's own voice. "Now then, to kill those blasted apes." he said, before his green aura flared around his body and he started flying toward the earth.

* * *

A few moments after Goku and Vegeta reappeared outside the Capsule Corporation building, they were soon joined by the other warriors landing beside them or teleporting to the building,

"We saw the explosion." Tien said as he touched the earth directly before Goku and Vegeta, who had both powered down by now "Is it over?"

"No." Vegeta replied simply, glancing to the glowing dot in the heavens which grew in size the closer it came to earth. "I'm afraid it's far from it." his eyes came to rest on Cooler, and he gave an annoyed grunt "Great, King Cold's other son is here."

Cooler smirked and folded his arms "Ah Vegeta, as likeable as ever." He quickly turned to Frieza "Where is my neice at? If it comes to it, I want to protect the youngest of our family."

"She's inside that building, but I plan to protect Glace myself." Zangya replied glancing to her brother-in-law. Cooler had only seen Glace once or twice, but she understood how he wished to be a better figure than her grandfather King Cold after he learned what Cold had done to his mother.

"I don't think you need to worry that much. That guy who attacked us up there only seemed interested in killing the Saiyans." Goku remarked, glancing to Vegeta, then to Inyon and then to Gohan.

Gohan gave an irritated grunt and glanced to the green glow up in the sky "Well if he wants to fight a Saiyan, let him." He gave a loud yell and transformed straight into his Super Saiyan 2 form, quickly raising both his hands up to his forehead and firing a golden Masenko into the sky.

"Gohan no, we need to lead him away from the city!" Goku exclaimed, too late to stop the ki beam going into the sky. To their mutual shock, even once the beam struck the green comet heading their way the creature kept up it's charge, the Masenko splitting in half around Hatchiyack's body.

Suddenly two orange beams of ki escaped his eyes and rapidly overpowered Gohan's energy blast and upon impact with the youth it created a powerful explosion which shattered the pavement and scattered the group backward.

Vegeta and Goku stayed in their base forms for the time being to catch their breath from the battle on the Dark Planet, while Inyon turned into a Full-Powered Super Saiyan "Damnit all, am I the only one who hasn't unlocked the stupid second transformation?" she spat. Cooler and Frieza were quick to transform into their 5th forms, while Zangya powered up to 100%

By the time Hatchiyack landed on the shattered concrete, it was Yamcha who flew at him first, amping his strength up as much as possible before smashing him in the jaw with enough force to snap Hatchiyack's head to one side.

"Tch. Don't waste my time earthling trash." Hatchiyack spat, driving his fist down into Yamcha's back and knocking Yamcha into the cracked earth, before kicking the semi-conscious bandit into the sky like a football with enough force to render him fully unconscious.

18 and Zangya rushed the red giant in unison, hammering his chest in face with flurries of punches and kicks which actually did managed to stagger the Tuffle android back a few feet before he grew annoyed. His hands shot up rapidly and punched both women in the stomachs, winding them both long enough for Hatchiyack to backhand them both into buildings on opposite ends of the street which threatened to buckle under the force of the collision.

Krillin circled about the red giant and raised one arm up to form a Destructo Disc, a red outline marking the edges of the ki disc from the Zen Kaioken boost. He flung it at Hatchiyack, but he was far quicker than his size would suggest and he managed to side step the disc, getting only a cut across the belly for his trouble. He gave a grunt and fired a bolt of orange energy from his eyes, the concussive force carrying Krillin up into the air and smashing into the upper floor of one cylindrical building, creating a large explosion on impact.

Piccolo and Gohan rushed the red giant in unison, slamming their elbows into his abdomen and sending him skidding backward. The beast drove forth and smashed his fist into Piccolo's face, a splatter of purple blood spurting past Piccolo's nostrils. Gohan managed to slam both his palms into Hatchiyack's stomach and fired off a full power energy wave powerful enough to launch Hatchiyack up off the street and into the air, further and further from the capsule corp building.

Suddenly Piccolo was in the air above him with a plume of jade fire in one palm, which he promptly threw at Hatchiyack. While the machine blocked it with one arm, he was quite shocked when the green fire pulsed along his arm and burnt into his armour, making him howl and yowl in agony.

By this point everyone in the city was aware of the chaos being caused by the gods clashing in the heart of their city, and all were screaming and fleeing the scene in whatever manner possible. No matter what threat befell the earth, the citizens would understandably never be used to it.

Hatchiyack ignored the burning pain in his armour long enough to charge at Piccolo and knee him in the face with enough force to send Piccolo crashing down through several buildings, which collapsed slightly from the building-shaking force of the impact.

Gohan had managed to zip forth and kick Hatchiyack across the face while he was distracted. His fists moved like blurs as he struck the red giant in the jaw over and over again. But, while Gohan seemed to be the strongest of the group all he was doing was irritating Hatchiyack with the force behind his attacks.

"Saiyan APE!" Hatchiyack snarled, catching one of Gohan's fists in his own giant palm and crushing down on it with enough force to break several of the half-Saiyan's fingers and make him yell out in pain. His red fist moved at an impossible speed, smashing Gohan in the ribs over and over again, shattering three of Gohan's ribs. The young half-Saiyan was shocked, this creature, this red monster was far stronger than Cell ever was...

As Gohan was flng through the air, Hatchiyack prepared to launch a full power energy wave from his palm to finish him off, only for a bolt of gold light to strike the side of his head. Didn't hurt, it was just annoying and distracting.

He turned his head and spotted Inyon in the air to his right, her gold aura blazing to life. She was at the peak of her Super Saiyan 1 power, but that was still nothing compared to the Super Saiyan 2 Hatchiyack had just dispensed with. faster than Inyon could even see, Hatciyack had crossed the distance and sucker punched Inyon in the jaw with enough force to send her hurtling down through one skyscraper.

The dark-skinned Saiyaness gave a grunt and barely steadied herself in the air. "Atomic..." Inyon growled, slowly taking in some air **"BURST!" **she yelled, shooting a large bullet of ki from her fanged maw, shooting straight up at Hatchiyack. He didn't even make a move to block, he stood still and let it hit him, enveloping him in a potent explosion which shook the earth below. When the smoke cleared, all he lost were some more chips of armour from his flayed flesh. "N-no way..." Inyon muttered. Hatchiyack grinned.

The Tuffle Android charged forth and punched Inyon in the face with enough force to knock her through several buildings and out of consciousness, sending a spray of blood up past her lips. He was about to launch a ki ball after the unconscious Saiyaness, only to be once again ditracted by another ki blast to the side. "You again?" Hatchiyack spat, glancing up to see Piccolo in the air above him "Begone, slug." he grunted, a discharge of ki shooting from his eyes and striking the floating Namekian...who turned into smoke on impact.

Before the Tuffle android could make heads or tails of it, suddenly Piccolo's palm was pressed into Hatchiyack's face and more green flames started burning into his face, making Hatchiyack roar out in pain "Namekian magic, you son of a bitch!" Piccolo snarled.

Thinking quickly Hatchiyack chanelled some ki into his forearm and swung upward, slicing Piccolo's arm in half and making him hiss in agony. A burst of energy from his eyes blew his other arm off at the shoulder, and a quick sweep with his eye blasts sliced Piccolo's legs in half at the knee. A quick telekinetic burst and Piccolo's maimed, bleeding body was sent crashing through the glass window of one building, where he laid still and passed out.

Hatchiyack gave a grunt and inspected the burnt, black handprint on his face "Hmph. Cosmetic damage, I'll repair it later." he turned and then saw Cooler and Frieza zoom toward him, and the two brothers immediately started raining punches,kicks and tail strikes on the giant. While several strikes managed to break Hatchiyack's guard and carried enough force to create powerful shockwaves which shattered the concrete and windows of the city around them, the two Super Arcosians seemed to only aggrivate the red giant.

"Frieza, I'm disappointed with you. I thought you of all people could appreciate my attempts to eradicate the remaining Saiyans." he spat, parrying one ivory fist and punching Frieza in the face hard enough to send him skidding backward, his bone mask shattered apart.

"I'm a changed man!" growled Frieza, before flinging himself back into the clash.

"Ah and Cooler, I suspect I know why you're mad at me, but you have to understand that I used your body for a good cause." Hatchiyack mused. This sent Cooler into a blind stinking rage. He shoved Frieza away, channelled as much gold energy into his palms as possible and then slammed them into Hatchiyack's burnt torso. The ki exploded against the giant and sent a vent of energy up into the sky, rending the earth beneath them and sending tremors across the entire city.

Hatchiyack's giant, scorched fist shot through the torrent of yellow energy and smashed into Cooler's ribs, making the ruler of Arcos wretch in agony. A flurry of powerful punches struck Cooler in the face, and then a mighty charged up kick sent the semi-conscious Arcosian soaring skyward.

Frieza let out a loud yell and shot a red spark of ki off his fingertips, which expanded into a field of red lightning to bind Hatchiyack's arms and legs together with a potent telekinetic force. It took a great deal of energy to maintain the telekinetic hold as Frieza pushed Hatchiyack up into the air _'This plan of yours better work.'_ he uttered telepathically.

The red giant was thrashing all the way up into the sky, the gems all over his body humming with power as he tried to disrupt the telekinetic field restricting his motions. What the hell was Frieza planning?

Suddenly he saw a swirling gold and red glow in the sky, and it took him a moment to realise what the hell he was looking at. The triclops from his video footage, the one with the red aura...He couldn't pose a threat to Super Hatchiyack, surely?

**"SUPER...TRI...BEAM...FIRE!"**

The massive bullet of red and gold light that left the triclops' hands caused Hatchiyack's eyes to widen in shock and horror. Had he been gathering his energy up for the entire battle?

The sphere of light struck Hatchiyack who screamed out as the energy carried him further and further away from the city, until he crashed into a distant mountain range which was enveloped in the explosive power of the blast and utterly vaporised.

Tien was breathing heavily once the orange light of his attack faded, but soon enough he passed out in mid-air and started falling to the ground...only for Frieza to swoop in and catch him, before landing again beside Goku and Vegeta who had gathered up their unconscious and injured allies.

"I can still sense him." Goku said solemnly "Me and Vegeta have recovered some ki, so we'll try and lead him away from the city, but you need to instant transmission the others to Kami's lookout."

Frieza gave a sigh and a nod "Of course, I lost alot of ki trying to keep ahold of that...What was it called again, Hatchiyack? Regardless I should move back for now. It will take a few trips to get everyone out of here though."

Goku nodded, and then glanced to Vegeta when he suddenly transformed back into his Super Saiyan 2 form "Kakarot lets go, I can sense he's back on his feet again."

"Right." Goku replied, placing a hand on Frieza's shoulder "We'll lead him away from here. Don't worry, your daughter will be safe."

Frieza gave a scowl and plodded toward the downed warriors "She better be." he replied as Goku transformed and the two Super Saiyans flew off to face the injured android.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, Hatchiyack faces both Goku and Vegeta, but has he been injured enough for it to be a fair fight? And what of the kids, are they really sitting the action out?

So some review questions to answer this time around.

-Lake Superior: 1) Frieza handles parenting... of the parental dynamic he's perhaps the more straight-laced and serious one compared to Zangya. He mainly handles teaching Glace manners, how to be a noble, and the basics of ki use and how to handle her inborn psychic powers. Zangya is, well, the fun one.

2) Eh, maybe. I do have an end chapter in mind which involves a very large timeskip, but who knows I might make a spin-off tale. If I do, it'll be a long way away.

3) They guy from DB: Heroes? Nah. Know nothing about the game really.

- Count Kulalu: Well she doesn't need sealed forms like a full-blooded Arcosian. Instead her power functions similar to her mothers in that she's normally in a suppressed form, but can power up to a 100% form.


	37. Breakthrough

"So can you sense them Glace?" Trunks asked, impatiently pacing at the half-Arcosian girl's side. She had her eyes shut and her fingers pressed to her temples in intense concentration as she tapped into her psionic powers.

"Yes. And it would be easier for me to do so, if you stopped pacing around me like that." Glace replied, an annoyed twitch crossing her face. "That thing...The Tuffle machine, it's knocked out most of our parents friends. It's just Goku and Vegeta fighting him now, and my dad is busy evacuating the injured." the young halfling replied.

Gohan punched his fist in the air "We should get out there and help them!"

Bento slowly shook her head, now in her melancholic personality "Wouldn't be wise, especially if this truffle robot was able to beat up all the adults."

"Pff, if he took all of them on then he's gotta' be tired out by now. We can take him." Trunks remarked. He had a stupid, cocky grin on his face, and there was no doubt that he had some of Vegeta's genetics.

Glace gave a low exhale "You're not gonna shut up about this until we go, are you?"

"You know I'm not." Trunks replied matter-of-factly.

"Well you guys can count me out." Bento chimed in with a shake of her head "You guys are all stronger than me cause you can transform, and I've barely had any practice with the Kaioken to use it efficiently."

"Aw...Lame..." Goten said, pouting in a childish fashion. Many often said he was the spitting image of Goku when he was a kid...The difference being that even Goku wasn't THAT immature as a little kid.

Glace nodded and placed a hand on Bento's shoulder "Okay okay. I'm still going to go with these two idiots, make sure they don't get killed out there. Trunks, you know a secret way out of here, right?" the half-Arcosian asked, to which the lavender haired boy nodded.

And so the trio left Bento behind and snuck through the Capsule Corp HQ, walking toward a hidden hole in the back wall of the building that Trunks had formed in order to escape grounding from his mother.

* * *

Goku and Vegeta had flown far past West City when they saw Hatchiyack blasting toward them. Tien's Super Tri-Beam had certainly done some damage to that machine alright. The red robot had lost several of the gems that dotted his body, one of his shoulder-pads had been completely blown off, and the black burns on his red armour had only expanded further.

"I think he's lost a fair bit of power." Goku remarked as he and Vegeta swooped downward "We might be able to take him, but only if we attack together."

"Tch...A piece of Tuffle trash like this shouldn't be giving us so much trouble." Vegeta growled back, the blue lightning on his aura starting to crackle with a greater ferocity once his anger began to grow further.

They rushed Hatchiyack in the air above the black crater formed by Tien's ultimate attack, Goku punching the red giant in the burnt portion of his face, while Vegeta kicked him in the ribs with all his might. The shorter Saiyan kept throwing rage-fueled punches and kicks into Hatchiyack's chest, gradually leaving deep dents in his torso. Goku was continuing his assault on the Tuffle robot's face, snapping it around and keeping him staggered and unable to make a counter attack.

Suddenly a burst of green light radiated from Hatchiyack's body with enough force behind it to launch the two Super Saiyan's back several inches. He sucker-punched Goku and sent him crashing into the scorched earth below and then drove is elbow into Vegeta's diaphragm, winding and staggering the Prince.

"Do you foolish ape's realise just how strong I am? I am the hatred of the Tuffle race personified! I will avenge my race by putting an end to yours!" He firmly gripped Vegeta by his golden hair and then repeatedly punched him in the gut, making the prince retch and gag in increasing agony, his golden aura flickering with every blow.

Suddenly Goku was right behind him, delivering a powerful kick to the back of Hatchiyack's skull with enough force to make the red giant howl in pain and release his grip on Vegeta. The prince fell for several metres before fully regaining consciousness and stopping his fall.

Goku threw another punch and staggered Hatchiyack backward with the force, and then he flung another punch only for his first to be caught in Hatchiyack's giant palm. Green ki pulsed off his finger tips and he gave an upward swipe, slicing a few centimetres into the flesh of Goku's torso, sending a splatter of blood into the air. Goku howled in agony, but Hatchiyack kept ranting regardless "I have energy stolen from all your old allies, I have the mind of one of the Galaxy's greatest scientists! What are you to me?! Just another monkey!"

He swung Goku about by the hand and then sent him hurtling to the scorched earth, whereupon he crashed and formed a deep crater under his injured body.

The red giant saw Vegeta rush his way again and was quick to dodge and block the Princes furious storm of punches and kicks. He took a blow to the jaw from Vegeta and was sent back a couple of metres from the force. Vegeta was quick to follow up the blow by charging up a vibrant sphere of blue ki in his hand, which he promptly launched toward Hatchiyack **"BIG BANG ATTACK!"**

In his anger, Vegeta seemed to miscalculate the distance between himself and Hatchiyack. While the expolision scored a direct hit, the backlash of the blast whipped at Vegeta's chest and sent him crashing into the scorched ground. A few moments passed and Hatchiyack crashed out of the plume of smoke that had enveloped him, sparks of black and green lightning sparking around his body.

"Ngh...Stupid...Worthless Saiyans." Hatchiyack snapped, seeing Goku and Vegeta entering into fighting stances either side of him "You want to die boldly? In the heat of battle, rather than just let me grind you beneath my heel? I suppose that's about as admirable as a Saiyan gets..."

* * *

From the Lookout, Frieza tried as best he could to monitor the battle between Goku, Vegeta and Hatchiyack. His body ached from the brawl against the Tuffle robot, and what little energy he had left had been utterly sapped away by repeated back-and-forth trips using instant transmission. Still, Frieza got all the injured to the Lookout.

As that strange talking cat lacked any Senzu beans for the group, it fell to Dende to use his healing magic to heal up the injured. "You know, I don't have any problems with healing you." the adolescent Namekian remarked while tending to Piccolo and Tien with two different hands.

"Just focus on stabilising their conditions for now." Frieza replied, keeping his gaze fixed on the world below this floating temple. "Once we're sure that they shall survive, you can heal me and retore my energy. Then I'll join the battle."

As he stood there, Frieza thought on the similarities between himself and this Tuffle who had lived on as an apparition of hatred. While he didn't want to admit it, he once acted quite like Raichi. An ancient enemy of the Saiyan who revelled in the thought of their destruction and demise. Also like Frieza, Raichi now found himself facing up against Goku who was laying his life on the line for his adopted home and it's people...And right now he vastly outclassed Goku, like Frieza had when they first fought.

"You found the strength overcome me when we first fought, Goku." Frieza murmured under his breath "I certainly hope you can find a similar strength to win now."

* * *

The two Super Saiyans lunged at Hatchiyack again, but the giant quickly seized them both by the throats and slammed them into the blackened ground. He kept flying along, carving deep trenches in the earth with their bodies. The two Saiyans gave cracked yells of pain from the pain, but found themselves unable to draw in enough air to scream.

Hatchiyack quickly flung the two dazed Saiyans in opposite directions and then crossed his arms over his chest, black and green lines of ki forming around the cracked gems lodged in his arms. "Revenge..." Hatchiyack growled, taking aim at Goku and then firing off a lime blast of energy. The Revenge Cannon struck Goku, who managed to block at the last second, but the explosion hit him with such force that he was sent smashing into the ground. His hair fell and lost it's golden sheen, and he could only groan from the pain racking his entire body.

Vegeta was up on his feet and still had the energy to maintain his SSJ2 transformation. He glared at Hatchiyack, before giving a loud yell and dashing straight at the beast who dwarfed him in size. His arm was raised high, ready to deliver a chop to Hatchiyack's exposed neck...

And then the Tuffle android caught his hand mid-swing, and snapped it like a piece of dry wood.

Vegeta howled in immense agony, but because of the vice-like grip holding his broken hand in place, he was unable to move backward.

"You know, I think I finally understand you Saiyans a little better. Your love for fighting, I mean." Hatchiyack remarked casually. he delivered a flick to Vegeta's chest and broke one of his ribs, making Vegeta howl again. "You see, ever since I gained control of this powerful body, I understand what it feels like to be strong. And I understand how good it feels to inflict pain on people."

A grin graced Hatchiyack's face, an awful, stomach-turning grin "That's it, isn't it? You like to fight to inflict pain on others." as he spoke, he smashed his fist into the right side of Vegeta's chest, shattering more of his ribs. The prince yelled out in agony, snapping immediately back to his base form. "Yes...You people revelled in the slaughter of my people, didn't you? Well now it's your turn to suffer as they did. Quite frankly 'prince', you should be enduring this with a greater sense of...retribution..."

"Hey, ugly! Leave my dad alone!" a high-pitched, obnoxious voice yelled out. Hatchiyack lazily flung the barely concious Vegeta away, and almost doubled over laughing when he saw a trio of children had come to fight him. Trunks went red, and then his hair turned gold and spiked up once he transformed into a Super Saiyan "Shut up! Stop laughing at me!"

"Make me." Hatchiyack growled.

Glace drove at him first, and while Hatchiyack was having trouble following the movements of her small frame, her blows still weren't doing much harm to him. On the other hand, she was a bit stronger than the other two children.

The half-Arcosian flipped back from the air, extended her index finger and then fired off a purple Death Beam which shot a hole clean through Hatchiyack's stomach. "First technique I ever learned, I'm proud to say." Glace said, giving a rather Frieza-esque smirk.

Going by the scorched hole in his chest, that tehnique was pretty dangerous. If the girl had been smart enough to aim for his head then Hatchiyack would be done for. And from what his scanners were telling him, this hybrid wasn't at full power just yet. "Sorry girl, but I have no interest in killing non-Saiyans."

Hatchiyack moved fast enough to vanish from sight and reappeared directly behind her. A precise blow to the back of the neck. Glace's eyes rolled back in her head, and she fell forward unconscious, landing in a heap. Slwoly the giant turned about, and his gaze settled on the two young Super Saiyans.

The Tuffle giant dashed forth and backhanded Goten with such force that blood and bits of teeth were sent flying past his lips. Trunks gave a loud yell and punched Hatchiyack with as much force as he could muster...An attack which did zero damage what-so-ever.

Hatchiyack gave a loud cackle and casually elbowed Trunks in the face with such force that he was sent hurtling several dozen metres away and crashing into a large boulder. Goten lunged at the machine and started hammering him with feeble, useless blows "Pahaha...How pathetic are you, you worthless monkey brat?!" he mocked, driving his fist down and smashing Goten into the scorched ground. Goten screamed out in such violent pain that he screamed to the heavens, a scream that Goku faintly heard in his semi-conscious stupor.

Trunks shakily got to his feet, huffing and panting for breath. One blow, and blood was gushing from his broken lip and shattered nose. "Ngh...You bully!" Trunks yelled, pressing both his hands together into a gun like shape and channelling a large orb of golden ki at his fingertips "TAKE THIS!"

The golden beam of energy flew straight toward Hatchiyack, who only casually glanced toward the incoming attack. "Worthless." he spat, flicking a hand up and deflecting the energy blast skyward. It flew up and up, and then finally disappeared into the clouds.

"B-but...I put everything I had into that..." Trunks murmured, his eyes wide from shock and horror.

"Then you are worthless. You are a pathetic weakling with delusions of power because of your heritage, who thought yourself a match for me." Hatchiyack dashed forth and was suddenly straight before the young half-Saiyan. "And I believe I should be the one to punish you for your insolence, brat."

Hatchiyack started to rapidly slap Trunks across the face, the force behind each lazy swatting motion feeling like a full-force punch to Trunks. Blood and bits of broken teeth flung from his mouth, his skin swelled, turned purple and bruised. His hair went from golden to lavender and fell down before his battered, swollen face as he was effortlessly slapped unconscious by the machine.

"I shall kill you at my leisure." he said, trailing off and dumping the badly beaten boy on the scorched ground "But first I believe I shall finish knock the tar out of your friend."

Goten was up on his feet, the glowing blue orb of a fully charged Kamehameha wave, glaring at Hatchiyack with pure malice in his eyes. Unfortunately for him, he lacked his older siblings rage-based power, so his chance of success was very slim. He opened fire and his energy wave crossed the scorched wasteland quickly enough. Hatchiyack held his arms out, fully embracing the incoming blast which exploded against his large chest. Once the smoke cleared, aside from the already present scratches it seemed Goten had done zero damage.

Hatchiyack threw his head back and gave a loud laugh, further enraging and humiliating the young-half Saiyan...Not that he could do a thing about it.

The Tuffle android grinned wickedly and then dashed forth, slamming his fist into the right side of Goten's jaw with enough force to shatter every tooth that had grown in that side of his mouth. Goten gave an agonised yell to the heavens, falling flat on his back, a scream so loud that Goku slowly opened his eyes.

"Ha. Oh don't start crying boy. It's only pain." Hatchiyack mocked. He raised one foot up high and sent it crashing down on Goten's knee with enough force to shatter the boys right kneecap. Goten screamed to the heavens in white hot agony, immediately snapping out of his Super Saiyan form.

"Get away from him!" Goku growled, standing up fully and glaring at the Tuffle android.

"Oh? Still alive?" Hatchiyack remarked, turning lazily toward the Saiyan. He didn't seem just determined right now, he seemed...enraged. Goku's hair spiked up and a golden flash enveloped him as he jumped straight into his Super Saiyan 2 form. "Go ahead and transform, you're still no match for me."

Goku gave a lengthy growl and clenched both his fists "I'm not going to let you live after all the harm you've caused. I'm going to give this everything I've got..." he gave a lengthy grunt, veins popping up along the surface of his flesh. He reached deep inside himself, looking for whatever power he had left to draw from his Saiyan blood. He had nothing left to lose, he couldn't afford to hold back now.

Suddenly, something seemed to just...snap inside Goku. He yelled out as his aura seemed to triple in size the force behind his ki ripping and tearing the ground beneath his feet. Lightning storms raged in the sky above and massive gusts of wind swirled all around the Saiyan's body. His flesh was enveloped in a rich golden light, and his yells just grew louder and louder.

Hatchiyack took a step back, trying to analyse what the hell was happening, trying to understand this increase in might...Right now his energy surpassed the highest records the mech had sensed.

The yelling was growing louder, harder and harder for a person's eardrums to withstand the noise. Then there was a blinding flash and Goku stood in a crater formed by his own power. His hair had grown absurdly long, down to his waist in length, he had lost his eyebrows, and the lightning in his aura had become far more intense.

"I'm going to break you..." Goku spat.

* * *

A/N: Bam, Super Saiyan 3. I wanted to introduce it, having Goku sna and draw upon whatever energy he could find in his Saiyan blood seemed a good start.

- ShinyShinza: Bento does have an interest in fighting, but she wasn't born as powerful as the others. She's trying to learn the Kaioken and then Zen Kaioken, but thus far she's at a very early stage of learning.

-TheFlyingPotato: Glace, at 100% is stronger than Goten or Trunks as Super Saiyans. This is because, unlike those two, both of her parents have high power levels and not just the father. Glace has been on Arcos once before to look into the history of her family.


	38. Turnabout

It seemed as though yet again Goku had broken clean through a barrier suppressing his power. In his rage at the Tuffle beast known as Hathiyack assaulting his child in such a brutal fashion he exploded with rage, and drew upon whatever latent power remained in his Saiyan blood to overcome this beast.

And there he floated, glaring at the mechanical monster, his body wreathed in brilliant golden new elongated mane of hair drifted lazily in the air behind him, the earth shuddered beneath his feet and the smoggy sky was soon illuminated by the radiance of the universes first ever Super Saiyan 3.

"What madness is this?" the red giant spat, clearly perplexed and enraged by the sudden shift in power. Had he been at full power, he might have had a chance...but all his injuries sustained dealing with gnats, and he had lost over a third of his ki.

"A new form. And with it, I'll make you pay dearly." Goku growled, speaking in a harsh, menacing tone not heard since his first ascension against Frieza on Namek. He zipped forth, faster than the machine could react to, and then suddenly his boot was wedged in Hatchiyack's throat, denting the organic metal that comprised his hulking frame. He staggered back in shock and in pain, only to be hit with a punch to powerful that he was knocked almost a hundred metres from the downed Goten, crashing onto a mound of blackened earth which collapsed under his tremendous bulk.

It was after throwing that punch that Goku realised that this new well of strength he just tapped into came at a potent price. His body was aching, swelling with so much power that he seemed fit to burst. He could only maintain this form for a few moments before he'd be forced to power down from the immense strain on his body. It was made even worse by the strain present in his Super Saiyan 2 form, which he had yet to master. If it were Gohan, he would be handling this form much better... "Better make every second count."

Just as Hatchiyack got to his feet again, Goku was pushing him straight onto the defensive, pummeling him with high speed punches and kicks. While his large frame allowed him to intercept and block the attacks (With great painful shockwaves running up his limb after every block mind you.) Goku's speed advantage was just so vast that Hatchiyack simply couldn't make a counter!

Goku's hand snapped up like a whip, tearing through Hatchiyack's chest plate, shattering several of the gems on his bulky body and making him how in pain, stumbling backward. "Y-you...Bastard!" Hatchiyack snarled.

In a desperate move he fired off two blazing optic blasts, but Goku casually vanished into an after image and was behind Hatchiyack almost immediately. His knee struck the Tuffle construct in the base of the spine, and he doubled over in immense agony, only for Goku to lift him by his elongated head and fling him skyward. Goku dashed up and then started delivering flurries of punches to Hatchiyack's stomach, shredding off large chunks of his armour and leaving large cracks all across his body. He'd win, he was sure of it.

* * *

Dende's healing magic felt so much nicer than the waters of a healing tank. It was like a warmth, flowing through Frieza's veins, arteries and capillaries, wrapping up whatever wounds he had in the span of seconds and removing them entirely. It felt so soothing that, for a moment, the former tyrant almost forgot entirely about the climactic battle raging down below on Earth.

"A new Super Saiyan form. Incredible." Frieza murmured, lazily clenching and unclenching his fists. He'd fallen behind, it killed him to think like that, but it was true. The prince had ruled the Galaxy for many years, revered as a god by most people in the galaxy for his vast power, and yet Goku had once again locked a grand power that put even Frieza's fifth form to shame. "How does he keep doing it...?"

Dende shrugged his shoulders in response "Goku's always breaking his limits. He spent a little more time in the Hyperbolic Time CHamber last month in preparation for the upcoming tournament, so that might have something to do with it."

Frieza blinked in surprise. "Time...Chamber?" he asked. His wounds were still healing but he was far from strong enough to just jump back into the fray. He had time to talk, it would seem.

"Oh, yeah, it's this thing that's been on the Lookout since before I arrived. It's a room that highly distorts time inside so that two years inside the time chamber is just two days outside the chamber." Dende explained. The others were stable, though not fit enough to fight just yet, so he was going to focus the remainder of his energy on Frieza for now.

The explanation was shocking to say the least. He'd had scientists for years research temporal anomalies for years back when he was a tyrant, this was Frieza's first strategy to gain immortality by removing the effects of time on his body. It didn't work. He had killed ALOT of scientists over that one...Still, on this planet they had seemed to perfect two completely different forms of time manipulation. Frieza would certainly need to get himself some time in that chamber, once Goku finished with the current threat.

"Well then Goku...I think I'll find some way to surpass you. All I need is two years time." Frieza muttered to himself, a smile tugging on his lips.

* * *

"This should not be happening!" Hatchiyack snapped, throwing punches as fast as he could at the Super Saiyan 3 who had so vastly eclipsed him in power that all his punches struck were thin air. More and more after images started appearing before him as he move forward through the air "I DESERVE MY REVENGE DAMN YOU!"

Goku snapped when he heard that, delivering a firm roundhouse kick to Hatchiyack's left shoulder, crushing the metal down and rendering that arm unmoveable. "You stupid fool. Revenge against what?! All the Saiyans you knew are long dead, they're ghosts like you! What happened to the Tuffles was a tragedy, but that was decades ago!" another punch and a fist-shaped dent marked the red giant's stomach "Their whole world is long gone, they paid for their crimes!" Hatchiyack gave an enraged snarl and flung a punch at Goku's face. He made no effort to dodge and was struck by the blow, his head budging only a few inches from the strike "I'm just going to come right out and say it..."

He gripped Hatchiyack by his still functioning arm and spun him around in the air with enough force to create a small hurricane in the skies above "YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A BITTER LUNATIC!" Goku roared, flinging Hatchiyack as hard as he could toward the ground, before channelling a great ball of golden light into his outstretched palm.

An arc of solid gold fired from Goku's hands, his aura being sucked into the bea to enhance it. It struck Hatchiyack dead on, carried him a safe distance away from his downed allies, and then a sphere of solid gold light exploded from the earth from the power behind Goku's energy wave. He was pumping everything he had left into this, he HAD to win! If Hatchiyack survived this, then all was lost!

The churning maelstrom of red and gold ki surged up into the sky until the clouds above were being swirled about by the whirlwind of ki. It lasted for moments, and then the energy faded and Goku's body reverted into it's base form.

Giving a low exhale, Goku began to float to the ground toward the epicentre of the explosion, just to make sure he'd done the job right. He batted the smoke aside, which seemed to get thicker the deeper he went, but he still kept on going.

The crater, at first, seemed to be little more than a deep pit of blackened earth and molten rock...Had he destroyed all of the Tuffle robot?

Then something caught Goku's eye. It was faint at first, something that seemed to just blend into the blackened ground, until Goku got a better look at it. It was Hatchiyack, or what remained of him at least. His body was blackened with burns, his legs and most of his torso was gone, one of his arms had been blown away while the other was lost at the forearm. His head looked to have melted down into something vaguely resembling a human skull, his jaw slack and hanging on by it's hinges.

"It's over." Goku muttered, his voice sounding almost breathless from his growing fatigue. He moved forward to investigate, figuring this thing would crumble to dust with a good hard kick...

Suddenly, Hatchiyack's head snapped up and he gave a deafening shriek. Goku staggered back in shock, and then suddenly long red tendrils of metal began to spray out of the Tuffle android's jaw, spiralling through the air and piercing into the cut on his chest Goku gained earlier in the battle.

Goku's whole body froze up, and a piercing yowl of pain escaped his mouth as the red metal snaked it's way up through the Saiyan's body until it reached his brain, nesting itself in hi brain and the tip of his spine.

The Saiyan became quiet, and his body seemed to lurch about like a reanimated corpse. "Speech functions are...Mine. Breathing. Senses...Full movement control..." Goku muttered hoarsely, the jerky motions of his limbs gradually becoming less awkward and more refined until he was finally able to stand up fully again.

"Well, I never thought my greatest creation could be overcome like that." the possessed Goku remarked, grinning and cracking his knuckles "But nobody ever said Dr. Raichi didn't love to make contingency plans." He started to walk through the crater, almost stumbling a few times due to the fatigue present in his new host body, but pressed on regardless "Oh stop trying to resist, you monkey. This possession isn't something that can be beaten with simple willpower, your body is mine...And with it, I'll finish off those foolish friends of yours...Oh the irony."

It was at that moment that Frieza simply...Appeared before him, two fingers pressed to his brow. Quickly scanning through Goku's brain gave the technique the name of 'Instant Transmission.' A handy technique, good thing Raichi now had all of Goku's techniques at his disposal...Unfortunately his stolen body lacked the power to do anything.

"Ah...F-Frieza..." Raichi greeted, trying his best to maintain his normal tone.

"I'm certainly impressed." Frieza remarked calmly, a sly smile gracing his face "I sensed the whole battle, that new form was amazing to sense. How did you accomplish it?"

"I ah..." Raichi made a move to cough as he fixed his vocal chords to match Goku's normal light-hearted voice "Well ah...He just pushed me too far, ya know? Drove me to power up because of my emotions." he explained.

Frieza gave a small nod of his head in understanding "Yes, emotion is the key, not just raising your strength." he muttered under his breath "In any event, let's gather up the injured and head back to the Lookout to heal them."

So they trekked up out of the crater toward the various injured strewn about _'That damned lizard. If I was at full power right now, I could dispose of him quickly and then kill the Saiyans...'_

"GOKU!" Frieza snarled, snapping the possessed Saiyan from his thoughts. Had Frieza scanned his mind? Arcosians did have a very potent psionic ability..."Why is my daughter here?!" Frieza hissed, lifting the unconscious half-Arcosian into his arms.

"She and the other kids just...showed up when me and Vegeta were getting our asses kicked." Raichi explained. Technically true.

Frieza clicked his teeth and then pushed a finger into the bleeding gash on Goku's chest, making the possessed Saiyan hiss in pain "You had best hope no permanent harm has come to her, otherwise you will die..." He glanced to the others "Now gather them up, we need to get them to the Lookout."

* * *

It wasn't until a few hours later that Frieza and his family returned to the Snow King. "Sorry I got involved in the fight father..." Glace murmured as Frieza carried her to her room, Zangya at his side.

"Your heart was in the right place." Zangya replied "You are a strong child, but still a child. Going against a foe like that is an extremely dangerous thing to do." Zangya leaned down and gently pecked her daughter on the brow "But you're safe, and that's the most important thing."

Glace flushed a little at that, but couldn't help but smile at her mother. She glanced up an noticed her father's blank expression "Are you still mad at me, father?"

"I'm not mad at you." Frieza replied with a low exhale "I'm disappointed you went against my wishes, that's all. I still love you." Frieza remarked, setting Glace down on her bed once inside her room. He would be gone for two years, from his point of view at least, he didn't want his last interaction with his daughter to be a bitter one. He'd have a happy memoire for those two years, and then return to have more happy memories.

"Okay..." the young half-Heran replied, bunching the sheets up into her hands and holding them near her nose "Could um...Could you read something to me to help me sleep?"

Frieza rolled his eyes and checked the row of books on the shelf above her bed "Very well. One thing, that's all." He had to admit, for a backwards, weak, hateful and rather unattractive race, the humans sure could make some good books. "Ah, this should be a good one." Frieza remarked, tugging one book off the shelf with his telekinesis.

The book hovered before his face, the pages flipping on their own, before Frieza came to a stop at the one he was looking for "Ah, yes. This one should do...Bilbo's Last Song, by J. R. R Tolkien." By the time Frieza had finished reading the poem, Glace was fast asleep. As he and Zangya left the room, the Heran gave a sigh.

"She has power, and a great deal of potential...Unfortunately she lacks the skill to use it." Zangya remarked as she and Frieza walked along the corridors of the ship. "So I guess I'll use the next two days to teach her some useful moves and working to improve her senses."

"That would be best." Frieza remarked with a nod of his head "Since Cooler is coming with me I can't bring her into the time chamber." he remarked "Two years without you..."

Suddenly Frieza felt something wrapping around his body, restraining his arms at his sides. Zangya gave him a mischeivous smile and started to tow the Arcosian prince with her energy bonds "Well, I'll have to give you something to remember me by, won't I?"

* * *

As he laid awake that night, feeling the warm body of this 'Chi Chi' woman press up against his host body, Raichi thought back on his own relationships. Raichi, or the man who had been Dr. Raichi at least, had once known a love like the one shared between Goku and Chi Chi. Her name was Sarcos, the woman who had been at the Tuffle Colleges in all the same classes and Raichi.

She was a thinker, a scholar, a woman who constantly dreamt of the glorious future that would await for the children of her generation. Thank god she hadn't lived long enough to see the genocide of their race.

Raichi had loved her,he really had. Now all he had was bitterness and hatred. But it was with that hatred that he would avenge the fallen. Slowly, he raised his hosts fist up and clenched it. A strong, Saiyan fist. That was all these monkey's were good for, manual labour.

He had made mistakes, been foolish enough to attack them all at once. Now Raichi would try a different strategy. Pick the Saiyans off one by one, and use his new host body to feign innocence.

His stolen body bathed in the pale moonlight "Tomorrow..You will die, prince Vegeta." Raichi whispered.

* * *

A/N: Bam, twist. Frieza's going for a lengthy training session, how many Saiyans will survive until his return? Who knows?

Since we're on the cusp of 400 reviews, I just want to give a big thanks to all my faithful readers. You guys all kick ass and I hope you continue your reviews. On that matter, some review questions to answer.

-Guest: Gohan is stronger than his canon Buu-era counterpart. He's done hi share of training and would be around Fat Buu level in his SSJ2 form.

-Belsareth: I just thought it'd be cool. And people would probably accuse me of playing favourites if I let Gohan become the first SSJ2 and the first SSJ3. And Goku has done some training with his SSJ2 form, he just hasn't perfected it like the normal SSJ form.

- Supreme King of Saiyans: It would be cool...But nobody knows the Fusion Dance in this continuity, and there's no Kaioshin around to give them Potara earrings. So no fusions.

-Reishin: Glace is fairly powerful for her age (As is the case with all Arcosians) and at 100% she can greatly overpower Trunks and Goten as Super Saiyans.


	39. Deception

The dawn light shimmered across the surface of Kami's Lookout, a constant chilly breeze moving across the white tiles of the mystic temple. The two Arcosian brothers had arived a short time ago, with Cooler sending a message to his parliament about urgent interplanetary matters that would keep him away for the next few days. "Hm. It doesn't look all that impressive." Cooler remarked, ayeing the red door inside the temple that Dende had led them too. "For a room that supposedly alters time itself."

Dende shrugged "It's not the outside that counts..." he began, opening the door open with a dull creaking sound "It's the inside." he added.

And he wasn't joking, the inside of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber was an awesome sight to see. The area directly though the door was plain enough, grey tiled floors and walls, a kitchen and a small bedroom along with jugs of healing water. But directly past that...was infinity. An endless void of white, with distant auroras of unknown origin marking the sky. Not since Arcos had Frieza seen auroras of such magnitude and beauty, but even those had a point of origin.

"Impressive." Frieza remarked, walking first through the doorway, with Cooler quick to follow him.

"Remember, as soon as this door is shut you only get two years. Any longer than that and the door will disappear." Dende warned, continuing to hold the door open. The two siblings nodded in response, and Dende gave a small sigh. "Good luck you two." he remarked, before shutting the door and leaving the two Arcosian's inside.

Frieza stepped past the tiled living area of the temple and placed a foot on the endless white void just to make sure there was some sort of floor here. To his surprise, there was. The white floor was as smooth as glass, but sturdier than stone and could withstand any weight.

Another step, and there was a slight shift in the weight upon Frieza's shoulder. Barely had any effect due to Frieza's massive power, but he noticed it "The gravity's stronger outside that temple." the former tyrant remarked. Cooler looked up from the cabinets he was inspecting ad then joined his sibling in the vast white void.

"How long do you suppose it goes on for?" Cooler asked.

Frieza shrugged his shoulders "Who knows? Best to keep that temple in sight when we train."

Cooler took a few steps back from his brother, and a wicked grin crossed his face "Speaking of that...Shall we get started?" he asked, dropping into his fighting stance.

The Arcosian prince smirked and got into a stance of his own "But of course. We have two years in here, and I'd rather not waste another moment." the two brothers began to power up, their purple aura's doubling in size and then combining into a singular swirling mass of energy. Then, their bodies began to warp and grow in size, spikes protruding off their bodies and their eyes forming into solid crimson orbs.

The two brothers stared each other down, each inspecting the Super Arcosian power of their sibling. Their bone masks clamped over their faces, and then the two rushed each other, moving faster than any human could hope to perceive, kicking up a storm of shockwaves all across the expansive white void of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

Their training had formally begun, two years to be spent outside the bounds of normal time.

* * *

Inside his own mind, Goku was a prisoner. He couldn't explain it, but somehow Raichi was able to create illusions so powerful in Goku's own brain that the Saiyan could feel the sensations. He felt the burns, he felt the hunger, and he felt the thirst...but he could not die. It was only his consciousness trapped inside this machine's illusion, but it felt so real, so vivid...

He laid there in the desert, pinned by immense gravity under the blazing light of the artificial sun that Raichi had materialised. His 'body' had grown emaciated and weak, what were once strong muscles were now sacks of skin clinging onto bones. His flesh, for the first time in Goku's entire life, had grown darkened and sunburnt...and it only seemed to grow worse. But he couldn't move, Raichi had made sure of that by pinning him under impossible gravity. He was constantly toying with Goku's sense of time...for all he knew, he had been imprisoned in his own mind for years.

Suddenly, Goku could feel his head being cocked to one side. On the horizon, the heat causing all things in the distance to shimmer, a black dot formed. Then that dot began to grow closer and larger, into a more defined shape. It was a man, but not just any man. Dr. Raichi. Or, the ghost that claimed to be him at least.

"You know, I hate you. Beyond what words can describe." Raichi remarked bluntly, his mismatched eyes staring into Goku's soul "I was programmed solely to hate you and all your wretched ape kin. Most of my power came straight from hatred of your kind, not just from my race but from every race butchered by you simian bastards." he walked leisurely around Goku, his hands locked behind his back "I will hate you from the dawn of time to the end of time, and I will make sure that every nanosecond you spend trapped here will be used to let you know the depths of my hatred." He spoke...calmly. Almost polite, despite the nature of his speech.

Goku weakly turned his head, and tried to speak "It's...pointless. Don't you...get it?" he choked out, his throat feeling dryer than sandpaper. "Killing the Saiyans...won't get you anything." every word was a chore to utter out "What will you do...when you have your revenge?"

Raichi had no pupils, thus he couldn't roll his eyes "Don't think you can kill me with some sort of logic bomb, monkey. You're nowhere near smart enough for it." he mocked. "I possess the nigh-limitless intellect of the original Dr. Raichi. And with it, I shall create a new world and a new species of Tuffles to populate it...Once the monkey's are all dead."

"And you...need to use...a monkey to do it. I...Ironic, isn't it?" Goku mocked.

"A necessary problem I must endure, I conceded But once the threats are dealt with, I'll be able to make a newer, more powerful mechanical body. And then I'll destroy this body that I've stolen." Raichi admitted.

Suddenly the heated sand beneath Goku's body shifted into an expansive web of barbed wire, making Goku hiss in agony. This illusion, it was as if...Raichi magnified the pain Goku was feeling a thousandfold. The artificial sun vanished and the area around him blackened, only to be replaced by a raging blizzard, snow and ice, powerful cold winds whipping at his body.

"Well, just look at the time." Raichi said dryly, unaffected by the barbs or the cold in the slightest "I really must be off. I have a Saiyan prince to kill off." with that, the ghost A.I vanished and Goku was left alone to endure his torture.

* * *

This instant transmission ability was fascinating, giving a person the ability to navigate hyperspace under ones own will. Well, it had obvious and restricting limitations from what Raichi's prying. For example, Raichi simply couldn't grab Vegeta and transmit him into some distant red star, because stars lacked a ki signature for him to lock onto. A shame, it would have made Raichi's job much easier. Then again, as strong as this body was it could hardly withstand the vacuum of space or solar heats.

Still, he could lock onto Vegeta's ki signature and teleport straight toward it, exactly what the Tuffle body-snatcher was doing right now.

He appeared in the gravity chamber, the entire room illuminated by a dark red hue, and he almost doubled over once the immense gravity struck him "Agh!" Raichi exclaimed. Were it not for im spreading his liquid metal throughout Goku's body to reinforce it and regulate his body's ki with greater control, he'd be flat on his stomach right now. He couldn't risk transforming. He'd tested that ability before he came out here, and under his influence the Super Saiyan transformation looked vastly different.

"Hmph! Kakarot, what the hell are you doing here?" the Saiyan prince greeted gruffly, lightning sparking off of his aura. He sounded bitter, and Raichi knew why. Dende had healed all his physical wounds, but the wounds to his pride were always going to be lasting... "Computer, gravity off!"

At his command the air became lighter, Vegeta powering down to his base form as soon as the gravity shifted, and Raichi could stand up fully once more without the strain on his body "Hehe, thanks for that. But I need your help with something important."

Vegeta scoffed loudly at that "And why would you need my help? You're the physical god with the third transformation, right?" he asked mockingly. Raichi wanted to snap his neck right now, but he restrained himself. He had to kill Vegeta in such a way that he could be absolved of suspiscion by Vegeta's allies, feign innocence.

"Well, I have my worries that Dr. Raichi had some sort of back-up machine or tat his robot might have been able to regenerate like Cell. You and me should go take a look, just in case." Raichi explained, keeping up Goku's normal jovial tones.

Vegeta seemed silent for a moment, before giving an irritated roll of his eyes "Just like you to leave a job half-finished you stupid clown. You did it to me, and you did it to Frieza...What next, are you going to try and befriend that ugly butt-plug headed robot?" he mocked, grabbing a towel off a nearby railing and drying the sweat off his face.

_'How dare you mock my designs! What would a shaved chimpanzee like you know of aesthetics and design?! Why don't you go crawl back into your dung hut and die?!' _Raichi hissed mentally, while outwardly maintaining that trademark stupid grin of Goku's. "Well, I don't quite think he could be reformed." he said calmly.

Vegeta rolled his eyes and pulled his navy tank top on, before leading the way outside of the Capsule Corp HQ.

* * *

It didn't take long for the two to take to the skies, swooping over the cityscape. The Dragon Balls had yet to be gathered to undo the damage caused by the battle against Hatchiyack, and that destruction was far more plain to see in the daylight.

The Capsule Corporation had donated hundreds of power suits to aid in the reconstruction and the removal of debris, but even so it would take almost a fortnight. And there was the matter of tallying all the dead and sending notice to the next of kin...made even more difficult by the fact that many people had been utterly disintegrated by stray ki blasts and energy explosions.

A pang of guilt briefly hit Raichi, as he was reminded of the destruction the Saiyans wrought on his own home...No, no this was different. These specks had the Dragon Balls, all that they lost could be restored while his own race and planet was too long dead to be brought back by even the magic of the mighty Shenron or Porunga. They should count themselves lucky that their entire city had not been reduced to a scorched crater.

The two Saiyans continued to fly in silence, and Raichi took a moment to enjoy Vegeta's bitterness. Yes, with access to all of Goku's memories he could see every aspect of their rivalry and knew how many times Goku had surpassed the prince. Now, Goku had achieved another transformation before Vegeta did. Oh he was fuming inside, and it made Raichi want to burst out laughing,

They landed in the blackened crater that had been caused by Tien's attack the other day, and Vegeta took a moment to survey the area "You were being paranoid Kakarot, I don't see any remnant of that Tuffle's machine." he scoffed, wrinkling his nose and looking away.

"Maybe you're looking in the wrong place...Prince." Raichi hissed. Suddenly the ground cracked into a spider-web beneath his feet as he transformed straight into his Super Saiyan 1 state. His body was certainly far different to what Goku's original transformation had looked like. His hair and aura, rather than taking on a glorious golden shine, glowed with a sickly green light akin to what Hatchiyack's aura resembled. In addition the whites of his eyes had morphed into solid pools of black, while his iris' changed into a smouldering gold shade.

Vegeta was taken aback "Y-You!" he exclaimed, only to be backhanded through a mound of ash and rock, crashing flat on his back a few feet away.

"Yes, me." Raichi replied, using his power over Goku's vocal chords to establish a far more menacing pitch to his voice. "I always have a back-up plan. In this case, I placed a liquid metal solution inside Hatchiyack's body, to spring out and possess any foe strong enough to best him. Now I reside as the cancer inside the Saiyan known as Son Goku...I am spreading through every vein, artery, nerve, cell...I am within every part of his body and have full control, warping and reinforcing his body to my own ends."

Vegeta was quick to his feet, spitting up blood and wiping some soot from his face "You worthless piece of Tuffle trash, you have some nerve taking the body of a Saiyan warrior." A golden flash lit up the area, but Raichi's black and orange eyes didn't flinch in the slightest from the light of Vegeta's SSJ1 aura. "I'm going to beat you out of Kakarot's body and send you to hell where you belong!"

He lunged at Raichi and started giving off powerful, rapid punches to the taller Saiyan's face, bruising along his cheeks and sending sprays of blood past his lips. A powerful roundhouse kick to the face sent Raichi spiralling backward, but was was quick to land on his feet. He grinned at Vegeta and then jokingly remarked "Come on princess, hit harder than that."

That sent Vegeta into a blind rage. He howled and launched himself at Raichi, and the two exchanged a flurry of kicks and punches that sent them both rocketing across the dusty wasteland, further from the crater and closer to neighbouring woodlands.

A strong elbow to the face sent Vegeta tumbling, but he was quick to right himself and leap back. He kneed Raichi in the ribs and almost made the body-snatcher double over in pain, before quickly firing off a ki blast that struck Raichi's chest and knocked him back a few metres. Much of his orange gi had been shredded by the blast, merely cosmetic damage.

The two Super Saiyans rushed each other again and started moving faster than the human eye could follow, kicking up clouds of dust or shattering nearby rocks from the force behind their , neither could score a clean hit on the other right now it seemed, each strike either being parried or blocked by their foe.

Their fists collided in a mighty display of Super Saiyan power, pale green clashing against glorious gold light, shattering the ground directly below them. However, the corrupted Saiyan smirked wickedly and fired off a heated bolt of orange energy from his eyes that exploded against Vegeta's chest and sent him crashing deep into the woods, knocking over several trees along the way.

Raichi took to the sky to savour the small scar the princes body had left in the dense woodland, and was about to flush Vegeta out when the ground suddenly began to rumble. A dome of violent gold light burst forth and created a large smouldering crater around where Vegeta had crashed. The prince started to dash up toward the body-snatching Tuffle, his body wreathed in the crackling pale blue lightning of his Super Saiyan 2 form. "It's about time." Raichi remarked dryly, only to be silence by a heel to the face that sent a sputtering of blood past his nose.

Now Vegeta clearly had the upper hand, flying circles around Raichi and hammering his body with blows from all sides. Each strike caused Raichi's stolen body to jerk about from the violent force behind it, and he simply couldn't form any sort of counter-attack to the Super Saiyan 2 onslaught of blows.

A loud, almost animalistic yell escaped Vegeta as he raised both his hands high above his head and then crashed them down on the back of Raichi's head. The force almost made him black out, and he was unable to stop his body hurtling into the vast forest and crashing through several trees, before skidding to a halt face-first in the dirt.

"You dare mock me?! Taste the wrath of the prince of all Saiyans!" Vegeta snarled, shooting on arm forth and forming a shimmering, brilliant orb of blue energy in his palm **"BIG BANG ATTACK!"** he roared out, launching the sphere of light forth.

The blast exploded with enough force to send tremors across the entire forest, the dome of heat and light created by the explosion almost over a mile in diameter. Not his most potent version of the attack, but the ki in that blast was more concentrated than normal. Finally the smoke cleared, and for a moment it seemed as if that did the trick...

...Until Raichi reappeared directly behind him via instant transmission. Now his sickly green hair was spikier, more rigid, and black arcs of lightning were flitting about his pale green aura. More damage had been done to his skin and his clothing, but his transformation allowed him to endure the brunt of the attack quite well. "Not bad, not bad at all. I'm actually starting to get warmed up." Raichi remarked. His boot struck Vegeta in the jaw and sent him crashing downaward before he managed to tight himself among the treetops.

Vegeta charged at Raichi and drove his shoulder into the body-snatcher's ribs with enough force to make Raichi wheeze in pain before being flung backward. Raichi's feet struck the earth, before he gave a loud yell and flared his sickly green aura to life, destroying several trees with the force of his ki.

The two glared at each other and then flew at each other, both pulling their fists back to deliver powerful punches to their foe.

* * *

A/N: Can Vegeta hold out against the possessed Saiyan long enough for help to arrive? And will Frieza be out of the time chamber in enough time to aid the rest of his allies?

- Supereme King of Saiyans: Ah ah ah, no spoilers.

- Chaoscentric: Well Frieza's forth form is roughly equal to Android 16 in strength, and once transformed into his fifth state he can match Cell in his base Perfect Form.


	40. Vengeance

Gohan and Piccolo had met up to train in the northern icy wastes when they sensed the disturbance. There were the familiar ki signatures of Goku and Vegeta, and while there was something a little odd about Goku's energy, the two just brushed it off.

Then Gohan noticed that the power between the two was growing more intense, but Piccolo told him that the two full-blooded Saiyans always got intense when they sparred against each other. They had resumed their training, shattering ice and sending large fissures running along glaciers. Still, the worry persisted.

About fifteen minutes after the master and student resumed their training, Gohan called it off when he felt Goku and Vegeta reaching the apex's of their Super Saiyan 2 power levels.

"Okay, something's definitely wrong." Gohan remarked, crossing his arms over his chest,steam rising off his body in the freezing air of the tundra surrounding them. "I don't care if they're training or sparring, they're putting out way too much power for it to be normal."

Piccolo frowned and slowly set his feet down on one floating mound of ice, the solid mass of frozen water simmering and melting slightly where his feet touched from the power of his ki. "I'm afraid I have to agree with you... What do you suppose is going on then?"

Gohan shrugged his shoulders "I dunno in all honesty. I can sense that they're close to where they fought that Hatchiyack creature." he glanced to his mentor and oldest friend "You don't suppose it's still alive, do you?"

The Namekian rubbed his jawline in thought "No no...he had a ki signature, didn't he? I can only sense Goku and Vegeta right now."

"Well, yeah but...There's some sort of ki distortion out there." Gohan replied, the lightning of his Super Saiyan 2 aura melting any snow that got too close to his body "You don't suppose Raichi had a second robot? One that's like Gero's androids, not giving off any sort of ki signature?" he suggested.

The possibility was certainly a worrying one, it seemed Piccolo felt the same what with the furrowing of his brow and all "We should take a look." Piccolo remarked, floating up off the ice.

Gohan nodded and started flying alongside Piccolo, his pale golden aura mixing with Piccolo's vibrant green field of ki. "Let's hope we're not too late." the half-Saiyan remarked.

* * *

Trees were blown into atoms, rocks were shattered to dust, fauna of all sorts fled as fast as they could to avoid being indirectly slaughtered by the force of two clashing Saiyans. Most, of course, couldn't get far away fast enough to avoid being struck by a stray ki blast or a shockwave created by their clashes.

Raichi and Vegeta repeatedly vanished from sight, reappearing only for split seconds whenever they clashed against each other. They struck each other again and again and again, spreading large craters all over the vast woodland surrounding them.

Vegeta managed to get a brief advantage, his knee breaking the body-snatchers guard and his fist lodging itself under Raichi's chin. The ensuing force of the uppercut sent Raichi hurtling several dozen metres straight up into the air, away from the ruins of the forest.

Suddenly Vegeta appeared behind him, and starting hammering Raichi with blows. The punches and kicks came faster than the lightning scattering around his golden aura. Raichi was having trouble interacting against the flurry of attacks, his head being jerked in all sorts of diretions by the various blows to it, more bruising starting to form on his exposed chest. Yes yes, these bruises would all look very convincing.

Vegeta clasped both his fists high above his head and gave a loud yell, slamming his clasped hands across Raichi's face and sending the possessed Saiyan hurtling downward. Raichi righted himself and gave a cackle, wiping a mix of blood and spit off his chin with the back of his hand. "Well I'll be, that actually hurt Princess. But you're looking kind of tired." he mocked.

The Saiyan Prince fumed at that, his gold aura doubling in size "I'll show you, you wretched piece of Tuffle garbage!" he yelled, raising both his hands up and forming pale blue orbs of ki in both of his palms.

"Put your money where your mouth is, as they say." Raichi remarked cockily, his sickly green aura flaring to life. Vegeta gave an inarticulate yell and started firing off a barrage of pale blue ki balls, each bolt only striking against an afterimage of Raichi and exploding against the once lush forest below them. _'That's it Vegeta, make a big mess. Make those idiots think there was a great big epic battle here before they arrived...'_

Yes, with Goku's energy sensing at his disposal he was well aware that Piccolo and Gohan were fast approaching, having sensed the massive fluctuating energies. The corruption in his ki would keep the two from telling exactly was going on here. Still if his calculations were correct, and they always were, he only had 20 minutes left to kill Vegeta before he was caught in the act.

He'd make sure to enjoy every last nanosecond.

Raichi kept dodging the energy balls and advancing ever-closer to Vegeta. Then he grew bored and simply appeared right in his face with instant transmission. The corrupted Super Saiyan smashed his brow against Vegeta's own, staggering him back by about a foot.

Now Vegeta was on the defensive, superhumanly fast blows hammering his face and chest. A quick roundhouse kick from Raichi and Vegeta was sent hurtling several dozen metres backward. Raichi used instant transmission a few times, constantly appearing directly behind Vegeta and smashing him around through the air. Finally, he appeared directly above Vegeta and kicked him in the jaw so hard that a few teeth were flung past his lips and the ensuing force sent him smashing down to earth.

An odd sense of fatigue briefly crept into Raichi's stolen body, and he ran a quick internal diagnostic of his body. Ah. The instant transmission technique, it cost a bit of ki to use it. Using it multiple times in rapid succession would drain a fair bit of ki. A shame, it was his fastest way of moving about. Even in this body's third transformation, Raichi estimated it could only move at high-end relativistic speeds.

Raichi was snapped from his thoughts, glancing down to see Vegeta crawling from the crater he had been slammed into. "Oh, you're still alive." Raichi remarked dryly.

"Ha...But soon you'll be dead..." Vegeta remarked, gritting his teeth "The Namekian, and Kakarot's brat...they're on their way. You stand no chance!" Vegeta yelled. He powered up to his very limit, a small swelling forming in his muscles and a mini cyclone forming from his ki.

13 minutes. How time flew. Still, he'd need to make sure the Namekian and the half-Monkey knew none of this. Gohan was stronger than Vegeta, and Piccolo had access to that bizarre fire that Raichi's scanners simply could not analyse. According to Goku, it relied on magic. What nonsense. Only a monkey would believe in such a foolish concept.

Regardless, Raichi started to power up himself. There was a violent flash of pale green that lit up the whole sky. it lasted only for a second, and then the sky regained it's normal colour. There he floated above Vegeta, long spikey hair that went down to his waist, glowing pale green. His eyes were still a mix of black and green, but now several veins on his body were popping up, coloured the same shades as his eyes.

* * *

"Whoa! Piccolo, did you feel that?!" Gohan exclaimed loudly, his aura protecting him from the high speed winds whipping around him "My dad just used that new transformation of his. There's no way he'd go that far if he was just sparring with Vegeta, something is definitely up."

Piccolo nodded but kept his gaze focused ahead "There's still a strange distortion in their energy, I can't tell exactly what's going on." he replied.

Gohan frowned. That too had been bothering him. He could sense the changes in energy between Goku and Vegeta but he couldn't quite tell if they were fighting against each other or if there was some undetectable third party in the brawl. "Must be pretty serious if he's using all that power."

"Agreed." Piccolo replied "We're almost there though, so we'llknow what the hell is going on out there soon enough." the Super Namek added.

With that, master and student flared their auras up and picked up speed.

* * *

"You know prince, I have to compliment the brutish power of you Saiyan savages. This form right here, is four times stronger than Goku's Super Saiyan 2 form..." Raichi remarked, clenching and unclenching his fists.

Vegeta gave a snort of derision, glaring up at his possessed rival "You're pathetic Raichi, unable to get your revenge ithout the power of a Saiyan." he mocked. He was trying to stay confident, while inwardly he wished Piccolo and Gohan would get here quicker. All three of them might be able to stop Raichi with his stolen SSJ3 power.

Raichi gave a confident shrug of his shoulders, brushing off the insult and continuing to brag about his new might "Ordinarily, this form would cause great strain to maintain for any length of time. But I have such vast reach inside this body, I've reinforced it with my technology so that it can better withstand the rigors of this transformation and maintain it longer."

In a flash, Raichi had landed a few inches in front of Vegeta, light green energy mingling in with Vegeta's own gold light. His hand moved even faster and struck a very specific point on Vegeta's arm. The prince gave a gasp of shock as the arm Raichi struck suddenly went limp, numb. "Wh-what did you just do to me?!" Vegeta snarled. He readied his other fist, and was about to swing another punch up, only for Raichi to strike the same point on Vegeta's other arm. Now it too hung limp and he was without the use of his arms.

"Come now, I've dissected enough of you monkey's to know all your bodies weak points. I struck a pressure point and rendered your arms inert. It would last for about an hour, but you'll be dead before that happens." Raichi explained, raising one hand up.

Vegeta was about to dodge, but his form was so much slower compared to Raichi's third form that he couldn't possibly avoid the finger blast that blew a hole in his stomach. Then he started firing off a rapid storm of energy bullets, blowing a multitude of holes in his body, sending waves of blood filtering out onto the dirt.

* * *

Goku had his mental environment warped and changed abut a thousand times over by this point, Raichi taking a sadistic glee in twisting and torturing him in this complex illusion.

Right now he was strapped to a red hot pole of steel, feeling the superheated metal burning into his flesh. For the last while, his eyelids had been held open so that he could see the facsimiles of Raichi's long-dead family. He wanted Goku to remember some of the faces of the people the Saiyan's had killed off.

However, mere moments ago, those holograms faded. Instead Goku's view was replaced by some sort of screen. It took the Saiyan a few moments to realise that he was looking through his own eyes, watching as Raichi used his stolen body to riddle Vegeta with energy bullets.

Raichi was killing him, that was plain to see, filling Vegeta with daylight.

But in here, Goku could do nothing to save his rival.

"RAICHI!" Goku screamed out at the top of his lungs, to no avail "STOP THIS, RIGHT NOW!" The massive pain racking his body seemed to fade slightly, Goku being too distracted by his own rage to feel the artificial, phantom pain.

He kept yelling out and thrashing against the bonds that trapped his body, but he could do nothing but watch the vile show that Raichi was forcing him to sit through.

* * *

Vegeta's hair shifted from gold to black, and his wounded bloodied body fell back onto the dirt. Dead. Raichi took a moment to grin and powered down into his base form, his wicked sneer growing even grander. "I have languished so long as a mere AI...Dreaming of my revenge. And now I have it, prince."

No time to savour his victory right now though, since Piccol and Gohan were so close. A shame. Raichi suppressed his ki as much as possible, flipped backward into one of the many craters Vegeta's attacks had formed and then landed face first in the crater whereupon he feigned unconsciousness.

He must have laid face down in the dirt for three minutes by the time Gohan and Piccolo arrived, landing beside his crater. "Dad? Dad!" Gohan exclaimed, skidding into the crater and hoisting Raichi up to pull his face from the dust and dirt.

"Ah...G-Gohan...N-no, he might still be here..." Raichi said, trying to sound far more pained than he actually is "It...It killed Vegeta, but it must have run off when it sensed reinforcements coming..."

"What...Who did this?" Piccolo asked, surveying the destruction surrounding them.

Raichi gave a fake grunt of pain and sat up "Vegeta and I came out here to see if we finished off that robot...But then another machine attacked us. We couldn't detect it's ki, and it was doing somthing to distort our power too..." he lied. This was easier than he thought. "We did some damage to him, but not enough. He must have thought you to would have been enough to finish him, so he ran..." he lied again.

Gohan grit his teeth, an enraged vein throbbing on his forehead. "That son of a bitch...Piccolo, you need to get to Bulma and tell her what happened to Vegeta. I'll get my dad somewhere to heal him." Gohan remarked, letting Raichi use his shoulder for support.

"Oh Gohan, thank you. You're such a good son, I'm really proud of you..." Raichi remarked, acting short of breath. _'I'll throttle you to death, I swear I will break every single bone in your body. I'll watch you rot...'_

Wordlessly, Gohan flew off with his dad, wanting to get him away from the battlefield.

* * *

By the next afternoon, everyone became aware of what had happened to Vegeta, that there was some sort of creature lurking on Earth killing Saiyans. A creature that had no detectable ki.

Those with Saiyan blood were now gripped with a sense of paranoia...save for Inyon.

Outside the Capsule House she and Yamcha lived together, in the heart of the Diablo Desert, Inyon sat on a chair in the shade of a parasol. Her laptop whirred and hummed, and the dark-skinned Saiyaness kept her gaze affixed to the glow of the screen.

Yamcha paced around the sands surrounding their stark white Capsule house, keeping a vigil for anyone or anything that would do his lover harm. All was silent, save for the sound of faint wind blowing eternally through this desert.

Finally, Inyon broke the silence "How come some writers try to shoehorn physics into their work?" she asked, glancing at Yamcha. The former bandit eyed her curiously, wondering if she was serious right now. "I mean like...who cares? Most of the people reading probably don't give a shit about physics, or won't know what the fuck the writer is even talking about. Ya know?"

Yamcha cocked his head "Ho do you even know what physics is?"

"I ate a dictionary once." Inyon replied with a small shrug.

A low sigh escaped Yamcha's lips, and he slowly pinched the bridge of his nose "Inyon that's not...That's not how ANYTHING works..." he said in an exhasperated tone.

"Whatever." Inyon replied "Anyway, I'm tryin' to read fanfiction, and the author's just going on and on about physics. It's like he's jacking off in front of the readers over how smart he is..." she shook her head "Gosh. How vulgar of me."

"Kinda insulting..." yamcha said with a small shrug "Anyway, is this really what you're concerned over right now?" Yamcha asked "Did you forget that Vegeta got killed yesterday? Something's hunting down the remaining Saiyans."

Inyon shrugged again "So?" she asked flatly "I knew death was coming my way my whole life. We clashed half a hundred times, but I always managed to escape the bastard. If he's coming after me again, I'll just fight him harder than I ever have before."

"Wow...That actually sounded poetic." Yamcha replied, taking another seat under the parasol. A silence fell over the two, the wind once again being the only noise around them. However, it was Yamcha who broke the silence this time "You give any thought to the whole marriage and kids thing?" he asked.

The Saiyaness let out an exhasperated sigh "Look man, you know I don't think either of us could be parents." she began "Least of all me. I'm nuts, ya know?"

Yamcha shook his head "Just think of parenting like...a fighting style. You learn the moves and the techniques, and you keep learning until you're a master of parenting."

Inyon slowly tilted her head in a curious fashion "I don't think that really works as a metaphor Yamcha." she replied.

The former bandit was about to make a reply, when suddenly both of them sensed a ki heading their way.

"Oh." Yamcha began "Goku's coming to see us."

* * *

A/N: Dr. raichi has succeeded in killing off Vegeta, and the Z-fighters are still none the wiser of the infiltration. But can the prince send them aid from beyond the grave? And what of Frieza, will he be out of the time chamber sooner than expected?

I'd answer some review questions, but I feel they've either been answered in this chapter or will be in the immediate chapter. So, yeah, stay tuned for the next chapter!


	41. Valkyrie

The blow to the face sent Inyon hurtling backward through the sands, tumbling repeatedly before skidding to a halt in the dirt. A ragged breat escaped her and her golden aura flared up again, clashing against the sickly green aura of her Super Saiyan 2 opponent.

"Hmph...Can't transform any further? What a let down. This'll be quick." Raichi mocked, his pale green pupils narrowing at the struggling Saiyaness.

He hadn't wasted time making an act like he had with Vegeta. This time he simply transformed and started kicking the crap ot of Yamcha and Inyon. He'd have to kill Yamcha now, of course. A shame. Then again, Raichi had been considering killing off all monkey sympathisers, especially after he had to put up with that Bulma woman's irritating sobs.

Yamcha lunged at Raichi then, yelling something along the lines of "Get away from her!" His Zen Kaioken-enhanced fists repeatedly struck against Raichi's face, making his head jerk in several different 100 times his normal striking force, Yamcha could output enough force to stagger Raichi...But never enough to be fatal.

A quick air pressure blast to the gut managed to knock the wind out of Yamcha, and struck with enough force to send him smashing face first into a large mound of stones. "Yamcha, dear, the grown-ups are talking here." Raichi said coldly.

Inyon yelled out at the top of her lungs and delivered a powerful strike to the face that sent a sputter of blood running down one corner of his mouth. Pressing her advantage, a blue ball of ki formed in the ebony Saiyaness' palm which she quickly launched at the possessed Saiyan.

With impossible speed, Raichi vanished from view and dodged the blast. The energy wave carried on through the air and struck a distant tower of stone which was vaporised from the force behind the potent attack.

"Hm. That might have actually hurt, if you hit fast enough." the possessed Super Saiyan 2 mocked, before driving his knee into Inyon's cheek.

The dark-skinned Saiyaness was sent hurtling into the air, but managed to right herself in time to deflect an incoming lime ki ball. Now she was on the defensive, narrowly blocking lightning fast punches from the Super Saiyan 2.

"Really...Could use...a hand here!" Inyon called out, hoping some help would arrive.

* * *

"Dang...They've been going at it for 3 days straight now!" Grand Kai remarked, rubbing at his white bushy beard, his eyes focused on the poker game going on between the four kai's of the galaxy. And the foursome had indeed been playing a poker game the last 3 days or so.

"Ngh...Just give it up already South Kai! I can't be beaten!" King Kai yelled, his gaze focused on his cards, and the small mound of chips he had on his end of the table.

The pink skinned deity's brow twitched in annoyance "Can't be beat huh?! What about that big halo over your head, you big dummy! And besides, I saw your own pet monkey beat you at cards!" he snapped, making King Kai bristle in anger.

The shortest Kai of the group, West Kai, gave a cackle of laughter and adjusted his monocle "Tch, give it up losers! Soon enough, I'll be making a castle out of all your chips!" he said, fully aware that he was holding what was possibly the worst possible combination of cards in existence.

There was a sudden commotion just outside Grand Kai's temple, and everyone turned to see the door suddenly explode inward, several of the Kai's Oni guards tumbling through unconscious. Vegeta stormed in, an enraged vein throbbing on his brow.

"V-Vegeta?!" King Kai asked out of shock, almost knocking over the table as he hopped to his feet "W-what are you doing in the afterlife?"

"Oh, so you're the fat bastard who taught Kakarot the first time he died? And this is how you've been wasting your time, playng cards while Earth is going through a crisis?!" Vegeta snapped, roughly lifting King Kai up by the collar and shaking him about wildly.

While the other three Kai's took a moment to casually check their rivals cards, King Kai himself was yelping in shock "W-what are you talking about?!"

"Could you cats take this drama elsewhere? You're killing my buzz." Old Kai remarked, promptly being ignored by Vegeta.

"Kakarot's been possessed by a damn Tuffle parasite! He killed me, and he's going to do the same to every other Saiyan left on Earth!" Vegeta snarled "Check in on Kakarot's mind with that telepathy of yours if you don't believe me!" King Kai gulped hard. He certainly wasn't about to argue with the guy who had fought all the way from King Yemma's station to Grand Kai's planet.

His antennae twitched about, getting a lock on Goku and trying to tap into his brain. A shock ran up the antennae and he gave a yowl of pain, falling backward and causing the table to collapse beneath him. "I...I had no idea...I should have been paying better attention to the planet...What are we gonna' do?!"

Vegeta snorted and crossed his arms over his chest "Contact Kakarot's boy and the Namekian. They're the strongest ones and the ones with the best chance of fighting a Super Saiyan 3."

King Kai gave a nod and tried to use his telepathy on Gohan "Gohan, can you hear me? It's King Kai." the portly deity greeted.

_'Oh, er...Hey King Kai, this mightn't be the best time. I can sense some trouble at Inyon's place.'_

"No, Gohan, that's the problem! Your father has been possessed!" King Kai remarked, trying to be as blunt as possible in this "That Tuffle scientist managed to get control of Goku's body, he's the one who killed Vegeta."

_'You're serious?!'_ Gohan replied, shocked. Something had been...off about his dad recently. Maybe there was truth to this..._'I'll contact Piccolo and we'll try and intercept my dad in the Diablo Desert...Hopefully we'll get there in time to save Inyon and Yamcha.'_

With that the young Super Saiyan broke off contact, and the group were left standing about awkwardly in Grand Kai's temple. East Kai loudly cleared her throat "Are we going to finish our game of poker, or what?"

* * *

Inyon was getting kicked about like a football, the superhuman force of each blow dazing her so badly that she couldn't even think of making a proper counter-attack. After a few moments spent getting booted around, Raichi appeared before her and caught Inyon by the top of the head, a wretched gag of pain escaping her bleeding lips.

"Pathetic. Vegeta at least gave me some entertainment." Raichi mocked, pulling one fist back to deliver a powerful punch. A loud yell past Inyon's lips, striking the possessed Saiyan in the face with an invisible kiai and knocking him backward by about a foot.

Inyon lunged forth and struck Raichi with as much force and speed as she could muster, knocking his head about from the flurry of punches she was outputting "How's this for entertainment, you goddamn whoreson?!" she spat knocking Raichi backward, staggering him through the sky.

Despite the flurry of blows, the damage done didn't manage to do much other than slow Raichi down. He gave a quick roundhouse kick that sent Inyon smashing face first into the sand, the pain preventing Inyon from getting up fully.

Raichi landed several metres away, rubbing a bruise on his cheek, and then he started his slow and steady advance toward Inyon. His ear twitched as he heard Yamcha rapidly approaching, his hands cupped at his hip.

"I'm sorry Goku, but whatever's possessed you has made you too dangerous to keep alive!" Yamcha yelled, watching Raichi stand still to observe him. Yamcha began to chant, a pale blue orb of energy forming in his cupped hands **"KA..ME...HA..ME..."**

"Oh really now Yamcha, do you think you of all people can stop m-"

Raichi was cut short by the blast being slammed into his chest at point-blank range. While it was perhaps the most devastatingly powerful attack Yamcha had ever produced, it couldn't even budge the power of a Super Saiyan 2, the blast splitting around his body. "I won't...let you take her!"

The possessed Saiyan gave a cackle, audible over the cacophony of noise being caused by the Kamehameha wave. "Oh?! And how do you think to stop me with a puny power level like that?!" Raichi snapped, willing Yamcha to pour out all his energy for this futile attack.

Yamcha yelled out at the top of his lung, his body flaring red as he forced all his Zen Kaioken energy into his Kamehameha wave, boosting it to 150 times its power. The beam quadrupled in size with a thunderous sonic boom, it shifted from blue to red in colour, and Raichi was sent flying off from the force behind the attack. It was like a normal man trying to withstand the force of a tsunami!

A sandstorm raged all around the bandit as he gave every last bit of energy he had to give, pouring it into one mighty attack. Even if he died from this, he'd die for love, and die saving the world from the most powerful threat it ever faced...

With the enormous amount of energy that Yamcha was pouring out into this blast, he could only maintain it for 24 seconds before he utterly drained his ki. Yamcha collapsed onto his hands and knees once the crimson light of his beam began to fade. He was gasping for breath after that exertion, and with his head hung low he couldn't see the awesome destruction his power had wrought.

The enhanced Kamehameha wave had left a mile long crater in the desert, the scar on the landscape so deep that the bottom of it couldn't be seen, evenwithout all the dust and smoke rising up from the man-made crevice.

"Y-Yamcha..." Inyon muttered in disbelief, seeing the power he'd just released "I-...That was incredible!" she exclaimed, audible even from the distance between them.

The scar-faced bandit managed to grin and give Inyon a thumbs up, starting to stagger towards her. He made it a few metres, before a look of horror marked the Saiyaness' face. "Yamcha, look out!" she cried, desperately dashing to reach him.

Too late.

Yamcha turned, only getting the faintest glimpse of Raichi. His body was covered in burns and bruises from the attack he just endured. This time however his abs and pecs were covered in discs of red metal, in addition to a series of interlocking red discs that ran down the length of his spine and a pair of red arm guards with pale green gems inside them.

His arm moved like lighting, the flat of his hand striking his neck with enough force to snap it in one blow. Yamcha's body went limp and was lazily caught by the possessed Super Saiyan 2.

"Hm, not bad. You died well human." Raichi remarked, flinging the bandit's corpses in Inyon's direction. The horrified Saiyaness scrambled over and plucked Yamcha's body into her arms.

"Y-Yamcha, no...You can't be d-dead...You're all I have... Inyon whimpered, tears streaking down her face. "I-I'll marry you...have kids with you...p-please just don't...don't..." Inyon broke down into unintelligable sobs, burying her face into the bandit's shirt, her body trembling from her crying.

Raichi slowly advanced on the weeping Saiyaness, giving a small yawn "Oh don't mourn him. Look on the bright side, now he doesn't need to see what I'm going to do to you..."

He loomed over Inyon at this point, a ball of ki starting to surge into his palm. He was all too ready to deliver a killing blow, when Inyon's head snapped up and a loud scream of rage left her lips, the force of it smashing Raichi in the face and sending him hurtling backward.

The earth was rumbling as Inyon laid Yamcha down on the sands, the heat of her aura burning her tears into steam. "W-what?!" Raichi snapped, hopping to his feet, watching gusts of sand swirling around Inyon's body. When he saw the lightning beginning to crackle around her body, he realised all too late what was happening. "Oh no you don't!" Raichi snapped, firing off a pale green energy wave at the enraged Saiyaness.

Inyon's aura flashed golden, releasing so much force that the incoming energy wave just exploded againsy it. When the glow died down, Inyon stood tall, her hair standing spikier and more rigid than her last transformation. Pale blue lightning pulsed round her body, the force behind her aura still causing the sand to lazily swirl around her body.

The newest Super Saiyan 2 shot forth like a bolt of lightning, driving her fist into Raichi's gut with such force that his eyes bulged in his head and spews of blood escaped his mouth. Inyon's hate filled eyes stared into Raichi's own for a moment, before she elbowed him in the ribs hard enough to send him smashing face first into a spire off rock that exploded into dust on impact.

As a Full Power Super Saiyan 1, Inyon had been fairly powerful. Unable to break the limit into the next form, she trained that form to the very limit. As a result, now that she was a Super Saiyan 2, she was perhaps the strongest one to ever acieve the transformation. She was even a small margin stronger than Gohan's SSJ2 form.

As Raichi clambered to his feet, Inyon zipped toward him with one fist pulled back. "Got to hell, you bitch!" Raichi snarled, swinging a punch up that caught Inyon on the nose and broke it. A fountain of blood was pouring down Inyon's face, but she didn't even seem to register that she'd been struck at all. She just pressed forward and started letting off lightning-fast flurries of punches and kicks, adding to the damage Yamcha's last attack.

"I won't forgive you." Inyon hissed, striking Raichi in the brow. "I'll show you no mercy." a kick to the ribs. "I'll kill you, I'll make you suffer for taking Yamcha away from me." a knee to the stomach, followed by a backhand to the face.

Every singly blow struck like a sledgehammer, dazing the possessed Saiyan and leaving him simply incapable of making a counter. He tried to swing a punch, but Inyon quickly blocked the strike and uppercutted Raichi up into the sky, his body spiralling about.

Suddenly, Inyon was in the air, intercepting Raichi by grabbing his throat in a vice-like grip."Do you understand me?! You killed him, and now I'm going to return the favour!"

She spun him around with her hand still firmly gripping Raichi's throat, the spinning motions kicking up a small whirlwind around them. She quickly released her grip, and Raichi was launched down to the ground like a missile. He struck against a mesa that exploded from the impact, debris collapsing upon his injured form.

Inyon shoved one hand forth, her other hand gripping her wrist tight to keep her aim steady. A gold and red sphere of light started to crackle in her palm, growing larger and larger, blue arcs of electricity coursing around the sphere. "BURN YOU SON OF A-"

"Inyon, wait!"

The ebony Saiyaness turned her head, the energy ball in her palm still crackling. "Gohan, what the hell do you want?! I'm busy!" she snapped.

The half-Saiyan teen was floating directly behind her, his own Super Saiyan 2 aura vibrating around his body. "You don't get it,my dad is possessed by Raichi's machine, we h-"

"No, you don't get it!" Inyon interrupted "He KILLED Yamcha! I can't just let him get away with that! He killed Yamcha because I was too weak to stop him...Now I have the chance to avenge him, and I won't let you stop me!"

"Inyon I know how you feel, believe me...But killing my dad won't accomplish anything, not when there's a chance of the creature possessing him getting away..." Gohan pleaded, extending a hand out to Inyon.

Suddenly, tremors began to rock the desert, followed by a large pillar of green light shooting up into the air. "Agh! Goddamnit, look what you've done! He's transforming!" Inyon exclaimed.

A massive dome of green ki exploded against the surface of the desert, even Inyon firing off her charged ki blast couldn't dent the bubble of light as it ripped through the ground. By the time the dust and the light cleared, Raichi was floating in mid-air in his SSJ3 form, the red armour on his exposed flesh glistening in the light of his aura.

"Crap..." Gohan muttered, his own aura doubling in size at the sight of the enraged Super Saiyan 3. "We can still beat him, we just need to hold him off until Piccolo get's h-" Inyon ignored him and dashed straight forward. Gohan rolled his eyes and shot off behind her.

Raichi raised an arm up, swiftly blocking an incoming kick from Inyon. His other arm up moved faster than Gohan could percieve, parrying away his punch.

"You know Gohan, I was hoping I wouldn't have to kill you until later!" Raichi remarked, his arms moving like blurs to block and deflect the furious storm of punches and kicks being sent his way. "I might have throttled you while you slept! And that annoying little snot you call a brother! Of course I'd have to kill your mother after that. No witnesses, you know?"

That seemed to fuel Gohan's rage, his blows moving at a greater speed and hitting with greater ferocity. Several blows from both Saiyan's managed to bypass Raichi's guard, knocking him back through the air and forming more bruises on exposed skin.

A sudden ball of light exploded against Gohan's chest, sending him hurtling him backward. With both hands of his disposal, Raichi was able to rapidly strike Inyon about and sent her hurtling down to the ground with a downward kick. Gohan lunged at him again, but Raichi quickly swerved around him and blasted in in the back, the powerful explosion sending him sprawled face-first beside Inyon in the sand.

"Ugh...Some genius you are..." Inyon snapped, hopping to her feet and glaring up at Raichi "Letting him power up like this...What a pain..."

"We'll beat him. We just need to hold out for Piccolo." Gohan remarked "We can take him...I hope."

* * *

Slowly, cautiously, the door to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber began to creak open.

* * *

A/N: Next time, the battle escalates. Can two SSJ2's match the power of a Super Saiyan 3? Can they last long enough for reinforcements to arrive this time around? And has Frieza tapped into the 6th form, if it even exists?

So, some announcements. Firstly an excellent user on TVtropes called KilotonsAreNaught has started up a tropes page for this fic. You have my eternal thanks sir!

Secondly, a writer called Lake Superior has started up a fic called 'Rise of the G Fighters.' It's rather well written, and takes place in the same universe as this fic. So go show it some love, it's an excellent story.

Thirdly and lastly, a user by the name of Querubin has offered to give a Spanish translation of this fic. So if he gets around to it, you bilingual types can read this in two languages. Huzzah!

Now then, review Q and A time:

-Stone30: Mm, fair enough. I had been watching the Dark Knight Returns, and I suppose I just liked the pressure point part of that fight so much that I wanted to work it in somehow.

-Zengame: Eh, can't have a saga without killing a hero or two. Of course, Vegeta still has a shot with the Dragon Balls if I recall.

-Perfect Carnage: Poker, my friend. They're not that great at the whole 'god' thing, are they?


	42. Apotheosis

Inyon and Gohan rushed at Raichi with as much speed as they had, and it seemed that their superior numbers in addition to their high power was enough to stalemate against Raichi. Their blows exploded against his guard, sending tremors on the desert landscape below and shattering nearby rock formations.

Gohan swung one kick out, colliding against Raichi's raised arm. Taking advantage of the brief distraction, Inyon smashed her elbow across the possessed Saiyan's face, sending him cashing down through the air until his body smashed into the deep canyon Yamcha's attack had formed earlier.

Just as Raichi flipped out of the canyon, Gohan fired off a spear of crackling gold light. The energy arced through the air and struck Raichi in the back, engulfing him in a powerful explosion, the force creating a new deep limb in the chasm.

In a flash Raichi was behind them, smoke rippling off the new injuries on his body, and he released a flurry of high speed punches that sent Gohan reeling backward through the air. Inyon leapt toward the possessed Saiyan, only to be sent soaring several dozen metres backward from a harsh boot to the stomach. Inyon managed to right herself, clutching her injured gut, only for Raichi to roughly grab Gohan and fling him at the dark-skinned SSJ2.

The two collided in the air, and the force of the grapple led to both of them hurtling down to the ground and striking the desert ground in a mighty explosion that opened small fissures all around them.

Raichi raised both his hands up his hand, forming a swirling mass of black and green ki between his palms. He promptly flung the blast downward, and while both Saiyans had started to fly from the crater they'd been smashed into, they were still struck by the shockwaves of the attack and sent tumbling away through the sky.

Raichi dashed forth and managed to intercept Gohan, smashing him with a firm roundhouse kick that drove him through a rocky mesa that collapsed atop him on impact. Then with instant transmission he intercepted Inyon and started raining punches and kicks down upon her.

Inyon was powerful, probably the second strongest Saiyan on earth at this point...but her untrained Super Saiyan 2 form couldn't match up to the wrath of a SSJ3. Raichi rained punches down, jerking her head in all direction from the force. He repeatedly struck at her gut, forming darker bruises on her toned stomach. It was now that the injuries she recieved earlier were starting to catch up to her and slow her down.

"You Saiyans are all alike." Raichi hissed, his vice-like grip clamping down on Inyon's neck. "A little boost in power, and you think you're invincible. Pathetic!" His arm swung down and sent Inyon hurtling into the sand, kicking up a large dusty explosion on impact.

Gohan had managed to get to his feet while Raichi was striking down Inyon. He took aim and started to charge up a Masenko, before launching the crackling wave of golden light toward Raichi.

However, Raichi's ki sensing abilities were every bit as refined as Goku's were. He sensed the incoming attack and rapidly spun around, firing off a lime green wave of energy that clashed against Gohan's own attack in mid-air. "Is that all you've got, you stupid halfling twerp? You are nothing compared to me!" Raichi snapped, his beam quickly gaining ground on Gohan's Masenko attack.

But then the tables rapidly turned, Inyon had got to her feet below and fired off a large wave of crackling red energy that struck Raichi in the back.

The blast engulfed Raichi, and in his distraction he was unable to keep Gohan's blast at bay. The two beams exploded against Raichi, and the blast seemed to triple in size, lighting up the sky with all shades of red and gold.

The beautiful, destructive cacophony of explosions lasted for a moment, a few seconds of raw destructive power that left a massive puff of black smoke lingering in the air. These were attacks that would have easily atomised Cell, and while both warriors were hopeful that the combined attack would be enough to do the same here...Sadly, they could still sense the corrupted energy of the possessed Saiyan.

As the smoke began to clear, more of Raichi could be seen. His body was laced with soot marks and black burns, and his chest was heaving with ragged breaths. "You...little Saiyan bastards!" Raichi snapped, enraged veins forming on his brows.

A grunt of pain and fatigue left his lips and he doubled over in the air. "This...cannot be..." he muttered. Despite all the enhancements Raichi had made to this stolen body, making it much sturdier and more capable of handling energy than its normal state, the fatigue could indeed catch up to him, and was doing so now. He'd need to replenish his energy now, or he was done for.

Raichi dashed down and punched Gohan in the gut with such force that the ground rippled apart beneath his feet. He drove the half-Saiyan into the dirt with a powerful downward kick, the impact causing a deep crater in the earth.

Suddenly, Inyon struck Raichi across the face and was striking him with as many blows as she could land. "You killed Yamcha, I'll make you p-!" Inyon stopped abruptly when Raichi caught one of her fists and flung her toward the downed Gohan, the two landing in a crumpled heap atop each other.

"Your ki is mine!" Raichi hissed, the gems on his forearms starting to glow bright, sucking the light from their auras directly into the gems. The two Saiyans yowelled in pain as they felt their bodies being quickly drained of energy, while Raichi cackled in a demonic glee. His wounds were slowly healing as he was revitalised, the power of 2 SSJ2's almost bringing him to his peak.

The hair of the two Saiyans went from gold to black, and both of them seemed close to fainting. "Well you're done for...Too bad, so sad." Raichi said calmly, ready to suck up the last bits of energy they had left. Then, in a flash, two orbs of jade fire exploded against the red metal on Raichi's wrists.

Raichi shrieked and howled in agony, the metal melting against his flesh and scorching his wrists black. The ki-absorbing gems on his arms shattered from the dragonfires engulfing them, preventing him from stealing any more energy.

By the time the blaze faded slightly, the possessed SSJ3 was glaring up at his attacker. "Piccolo..." he hissed, his voice dripping with malice.

"Me." Piccolo replied grimly, one hand aglow with green fire. "Count your blessings that you're in Goku's body. Otherwise I would have turned you to cinders." he said dryly.

Raichi smirked and cracked his knuckles, the flames on his arms starting to vanish. "You're strong, exceptionally so for a Namekian. Even so, by yourself you can't possibly stop me." he pushed off the ground, dashing at high speed straight at the Namekian Shaman, one arm pulled back into a fist.

Suddenly, a net of green and black lightning flew past Piccolo's hands and wrapped around the possessed Saiyan's body. He howled in pain, restrained by the electricity, which gave Piccolo ample time to dash forward and start laying into Raichi with powerful punches and kicks.

Piccolo was the strongest Namekian in the entire universe, with access to a wide variety of powers...but after landing several rough punches and kicks to Raichi's torso and seeing what little damage they were doing to the restrained Saiyan, it became quickly apparent to him that this was a fight he couldn't win.

With any luck though, he could stall for time.

The Lightning of Namek exploded off of Raichi's body as he flared his corupt aura, knocking Piccolo backward through the air. The possessed Saiyan dove forth and kicked Piccolo in the side with enough force to launch him further away through the air.

Piccolo deftly ducked under one swipe from Raichi and then slammed both his fists into Raichi's stomach, however the power of the punches only staggered him back by about a metre. With lightning-fast reflexes, the possessed Saiyan flipped upward and drove both his boots into Piccolo's face, knocking him several dozen metres straight up into the sky.

Piccolo managed to stop his ascent, grunting in pain while Raichi smirked beneath him. He dug deep into the mythical knowledge Slak had given him, and then his body duplicated using the Shade of the Ajisa technique. Then his duplicates started to multiply rapidly, until there were twelve illusions of Piccolo up into the air,

"W-what the hell?" Raichi hissed. All of them had ki signatures, he couldn't tell which one was the real Piccolo.

Suddenly the clones all rushed him at once, a blinding wave of green. Raichi dispatched them all with casual swipes or kicks, dispersing them into clouds of ash. Where was the real Piccolo?

He got his answer once he punched through the last of the illusions. The sky suddenly flashed with a bright gold light, and then he turned to swiftly see Piccolo in the air directly behind him. With a loud roar, Piccolo fired out an Explosive Demon Wave that caught Raichi in the back. he was sent screaming across the horizon until he smashed into a towering monadnock.

This formation of stone and earth had taken millennia to form, and in an instant it was engulfed in a powerful explosion that utterly reduced it to a cloud of smoke hanging in the sky.

"Still alive...Don't think I can hold him off for much longer..." Piccolo muttered, watching the glow in the centre of the smoke cloud start to glow even brighter, the force of Raichi's aura quickly dispersing the cloud.

"Hah...hah...I have to admit, that was a neat little trick. Even did a little bit of damage to me." Raichi said calmly, brushing the scorched metal plates on his chest. "But now it's over."

The corrupted Saiyan's aura suddenly tripled in size, and he started dashing toward Piccolo at high speed. Piccolo fired off another net of Namekian Lightning that swooped toward Raichi, however mere inches away from him he vanished from sight and suddenly reappeared behind Piccolo.

His eyes sparked red and gold and then he was firing searing beams of heat into Piccolo's back, making him howl in white hot agony as it cooked and melted his exposed flesh. "How's that for fire, you arrogant little slug?" Raichi spat.

As soon as the energy blast ended, Piccolo swung around and punched the Saiyan in the jaw, sending a spattering of blood across his knuckles. Another punch and Raichi was staggered back further. Then he swung a kick out...only for his leg to be caught quickly in a vice light grip so intense that it drew purple blood from beneath his green skin.

Then, with one mighty swing, Raichi flung Piccolo down through the air towards the desert ground. Before he could right himself, the possessed Saiyan fired off a football-sized bolt of ki that exploded against Piccolo's stomach and sent him hurtling downward until he smashed the sands with a powerful dusty explosion.

Piccolo laid still, grunting in pain. The energy being diverted to healing his wounds made a counter attack even less-likely...Not that he ever held any real hope of winning on his own. "Ngh...Stupid...Shouldn't have held back on the dragonfire..."

Raichi raised both hands above his head, a vortex of black and green ki forming above him and darkening the sky with the intensity of his energy "Now you die Namekian! Pay for your defiance!"

* * *

Goku hung upside down, his ankles and wrists bound with melted metal, hanging over a pit of beasts so deformed and masked in shadow that he couldn't make out any real features of them. Just eyes and teeth, _everywhere. So many teeth._

But he wasn't focused on them, not entirely. Raichi was once again opening up a viewport so he could see the battle taking place against Piccolo, sensing the power building in his own hands.

"Damnit all...I train and I train, but when my friends really need me I can't do anything!" Goku grunted, his voice audible over the hissing of the beasts below.

"If anything, I'm the problem. Gohan, Vegeta, Frieza, Piccolo...I'm sorry..." Goku murmured weakly, trying to shut his eyes so he wouldn't have to watch the finishing blow against another of his friends.

* * *

Raichi flung the energy blast downward, the coloured ball of ki lighting up the ground brighter and brighter as it zoomed toward the downed Piccolo.

Time seemed to slow down for the Namekian as the attack grew closer, and for a few moments Piccolo saw his life begin to flash before his eyes. He recalled sacrificing himself to stop Nappa's energy blast, recalled Frieza blowing a hole in his chest, remembered being almost blown apart by Cell's Imperfect Form, and now here he was facing down another fatal attack.

Then, like a bolt from the blue, a golden wave of energy speared the black and green ki ball, causing it to explode several metres away from Piccolo, leaving him unharmed.

The two glanced up into the air, and then they saw the source of the blast. There in the sky was Cooler and Frieza, wisps of smoke coming off of Cooler's outstretched hand. For the time being it seemed both the brothers were only in their fourth forms.

"Oh for fucks sake..."Raichi grunted, enraged veins popping up on his brow. "Can I not just kill a few worthless Saiyan monkey's without everyone in the universe showing up to stop me?! I had hoped to avoid this fight turning out into an all out brawl with all the Saiyan sympathisers, but it seems I have no choice now..."

Wordlessly, Frieza gestured for his brother to help Gohan, Inyon and Piccolo, while he landed on a rock formation looming over the possessed Saiyan.

"Nothing to say? Funny, you couldn't seem to shut up in the past." Raichi mocked, glowering up at the Arcosian.

"Oh I'm just gauging your power right now." Frieza remarked plainly, pursing his dark lips. "I have to say, I'm not that impressed. From what I gathered with my telepathy, I had you pegged as the greatest threat ever..." Frieza's legs slowly spread as he dropped into a fighting stance "Now though...I think I can beat you handily..."

Raichi ground his teeth in visible irritation "Watch what you say lizard. It might just lead to you losing your tongue."

Frieza cocked his head to one side and slowly swished his tail back and forth "Oh? Empty threats. I'm not some 2-bit warrior. I am Frieza, the former lord of the universe! Son Goku's greatest rival and his ultimate foe! He once surpassed me, but then I came back and surpassed him. Then you pushed him into the form you're now abusing, and Goku had surpassed me once again...and yet, with the aid of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, I am the strongest once again..." Frieza said, a smirk twitching onto his face.

"What on earth are you blathering on about? I can sense your energy from here. You might be stronger, but nowhere near strong enough to stop me."

As the possessed Saiyan ranted on, Cooler led Piccolo to the other two downed Saiyans, leading them away from the upcoming battle.

"Allow me to make a demonstration." Frieza remarked, raising one finger up "What you see now is my 'fourth' form, the body I was born in. As it stands, I'm using 100% of my fourth forms power, comparable to a full power Super Saiyan." His whole body glowed white, his body growing taller, more muscular and spikier as he transformed "And this...Is my fifth form. The Super Arcosian state, first unlocked by my ancestor the Snow King."

The ground rumbled slightly at the sky began to darken. Raichi's eyes widened as he felt a massive surge in Frieza's ki. "And this...Is to go one step **BEYOND!"** A swirling maelstrom of red and purple light surged around Frieza's body, concealing his shifting body from sight. Massive tremors rocked the desert, the dark clouds above sent spears of lightning smashing down into the sands.

Raichi gasped in mounting horror, his eyes widened from the shock "H-how can this be?! Stop it, stop it right now!" he roared, firing off a bolt of green ki that exploded harmlessly against the swirling bubble of energy around Frieza's warping body.

Frieza's loud yells could be heard for miles around, the light of his aura was so violent that it could faintly be seen from outer space. Hurricane winds boomed from his aura, and Raichi had to power up to avoid being knocked away by the explosive energy behind the gales. Electronics the world over were being distorted and warped by the sublime display of Frieza's power.

Then, suddenly, his aura started to rapidly suck everything inward like a vacuum as it began to collapse into Frieza's obscured body. Clouds, mounds of rock, even Raichi was almost yanked in by the intense gravitational pull. And then it all exploded back out again in a glorious white hot explosion, blinding to behold, releasing almost 100 megatons of force from just the power of him transforming.

The boom had sent Raichi hurtling back several miles soaring down until he crashed face first into the sand, just on the outskirts of the massive glassed crater formed by the burst of power.

There was no sand, smoke or dust lingering in the air from the mighty explosion. A powerful telekinetic force had filtered all that away, not wanting anything else to obscure the majesty of Frieza's 6th form.

He hung in the air, floating still as a statue. His skin had changed, now looking more silver than white. The armoured components on his shoulders, the bone mask, the guards on his wrists and legs now looked far sturdier and more rigid. His horns swooped back, four curved ebony horns that glimmered in the pale sunlight. His whole body had grown slightly taller, but his muscles retained much the same size.

The biggest change however was his bio-gems. Or at least, what had once been his bio-gems. The areas on his chest, the top of his head, and in his shoulders were no longer purple gems. Rather they were like deep pits of fire inside his body, vents of ki flickering up from those areas, and constantly shifting in colour between crimson and byzantium.

Raichi stood still, his jaw hanging low. The power was...unreal. "Well...? Where is your confidence now?" Frieza asked, glowering down at Raichi. His eyes were now also flickering between shades of red and purple. "You seemed so confident in your power a few moments ago."

In a flash, Frieza appeared mere inches in front of the possessed Saiyan with Instant Transmission, making Raichi leap back in shock.

Frieza slowly crossed his arms under the burning pool of ki on his chest "Do you really need any more proof to know how fucked you are...?"

* * *

A/N: Next time...just how did Frieza unlock this tremendous new power?

-Solaris: Inyon is roughly 7 years older than Vegeta. As with most Saiyans she started off as a child soldier, and got a little too...interested in the carnage and destruction. And like other Saiyans, she pretty much stopped ageing when she hit her twenties.

-Muderdeath21: All will be revealed, but I can't reveal the end of the Raichi saga just yet.


	43. Special: Training From Hell

It was by the third week in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber that the two brothers had decided to go without breathing altogether. As they moved deeper into white expanse around the chamber, Frieza and Cooler found that the air around them was incredibly hard to breathe, and they'd fatigue themselves much quicker if they bothered with breathing.

Unlike the prevous users of the chamber, Frieza and Cooler could go for impossible amounts of time without needing to rest. They had spent the first two months doing nothing but sparring before they had to return to the temple at what they assumed to the the 'centre' of this dimension, to fuel up on food, drink and rest.

Despite the regularity at which they trained, and the raw intensity of their combat, the two weren't yielding the results Frieza had been hoping for. Not enough to match the power of a Super Saiyan 3.

When the third month rolled around, the Arcosian siblings resigned themselves to use only the Super Arcosian forms. By now both of them had utilised the form enough to no longer suffer any physical strain from the ki, but there was another reason for using th 5th form. Cooler was under the impression that if a 6th form did indeed exist, then they'd be able to tap into it once they hit the apex of the 5th forms power.

As the sixth month came about however, both had seemed to realise that this simply wouldn't be enough. They had pushed the fifth form as high as they could, and while they were stronger there was no hint of a new transformation even existing.

Finally, at the dawn of their eighth month inside the chamber, Cooler spoke up. "Maybe there simply is no sixth form." he remarked, his bone mask sliding down so he could gulp from a cool jug of healing water, the dark bruises on his exposed purple skin slowly fading away.

"What do you mean?" Frieza asked warily as he took a swig from the other jug of the water. Tasted...off, compared to normal water. Still, it did its job well enough.

"I mean, at least with this form we're in now, there was some historical reference to it. We know that our ancestor could use this power, but there's no historical mention of a form beyond this. Even then, I was the first to even access this form after thousands of years." Cooler explained as he set his jug down.

Frieza scoffed in irritation "I didn't come this far just to turn back. I'll have the power I seek. It has to exist, I know it does." Frieza replied. "But by all means, feel free to turn back if you want to, big brother."

After that little challenge, Cooler seemed to halt his complaints. Even now, despite everything, Cooler loathed being surpassed by his younger brother. Still, from the way things were going it seemed Frieza would need to press on alone if he was to find some sort of secret about a new transformation, away from Mr. Negative.

* * *

Shortly after one year spent inside the strange dimension, Frieza got his chance. When Cooler settled down to sleep, Frieza took one large jug of healing water and started flying deeper into the time chamber.

The deeper in he flew, the hotter the air grew. Eventually it grew so swelteringly hot that it reminded Frieza of the destruction of Namek, when he had to battle through hot vents and lakes of lava. And it just kept getting hotter.

He flew for god knows how long, because the flow of time just grew all the stranger the deeper Frieza flew into the depths of this dimension. The sky surrounding him went from solid white, to a sunset orange, to a blazing red...and then all Frieza saw before him was a stretching, infinite void of solid darkness. Unnerving, as if he was flying outside of reality itself. Even the sound of his flight seemed to fade away as he kept flying.

The heat had left him, for now he was surrounded by a coldness even worse than Arcos' own. Stranger still was the sensation of pressure bearing down on Frieza, as if the former tyrant had the gravity of over a hundred worlds baring down on him at once.

He could handle it...but the longer he lingered the stronger the sensation grew. Frieza could also feel eyes on him, he couldn't see these eyes per se, but he could _feel_ them. There was also something he could sense, a faint ki signature...distorted and warped, but it was definitely present...and moving all about him.

There was a sudden flash of light, red and orange, and Frieza found a raging inferno swirling all around him. It blazed with a heat beyond any Frieza had ever felt before, sending beads of sweat running down the Super Arcosians body and forming small black singes on his white skin.

Fire swept all about Frieza, moving past him in massive plooms and tendrils of red hot energy. It formed all manner of non-euclidian shapes and alien geometries as it warped about, as if sentient and capable of bending its form however it saw fit.

Finally the blaze seemed to converge in one spot. Frieza watched in a mixture of horror and awe as the swirling vortex of fire began to converge before his eyes. It warped into something out of a nightmare, a 100 foot tall beast of sentient fire, like a titan that had crawled from the depths of hell itself.

It was hard to make out any real features of this beast, as one would imagine of a giant created of fire, but there was one thing that stood out to Frieza. The fire beast, for some reason, had two large curving horns on the sides of its head. Just like Frieza's father.

The lumbering abomination let out a warped cackle, the flames that comprised its body flaring up in the process. In response Frieza powered up as well, the flash of crimson and purple light of his aura clashing against the massive tongues of fire that lashed out against him, narrowly beating back the mysterious demons assault.

Suddenly Frieza's aura morphed into a barrier of purple ki, just as the giant raised one burning fist backward, ready to slam it down upon the Arcosian. Frieza dashed up, his purple barrier colliding against the mass of heat and energy, warped arcs of lightning and fire being launched away into the long black void ahead of them. Despite the massive size difference, they did actually seem even...for a brief while.

Cracks spread along the purple energy barrier, much to the mixed shock and horror of its creator, and then it exploded altogether, allowing the flaming fist to smash Frieza downward.

There was no floor here, nothing for him to crash into thankfully, but the pain of that punch was still immense, and left Frieza mildly fearful as he finally stopped his descent.

Looming high above him stood the powerful flaming titan. He, it, sniggered and then cackled at how much he had disoriented Frieza with one single blow. Those horns on his head, and Frieza could onlt see his father standing there and laughing at him. Drove Frieza mad with rage. Large tendrils of fire suddenly lashed from the creatures body, burning ki blasts that Frieza was only narrowly able to avoid.

Frieza raised all his fingers up while dodging the storm of fireballs and then started firing off purple energy blasts from all ten digits, incapable of missing due to the burning beasts towering size and proximity. Every strike formed a deep holes in the creatures whole body, running from toe to neck. Much to Frieza's irritation the assault was ultimately fruitless, once the creature simply reformed its body to undo the damage done to its giant form.

A shuddering roar escaped the titans burning maw, seeming to shake the air itself. Suddenly several balls of fire popped off of the giants body, forming into separate entities of their own. Little child-sized fire beasts, dozens and dozens of them.

The newborn army lunged down like a swarm of flies, cackling and chittering as they converged around Frieza. They were easy enough to take care of, telekinetic blasts, energy waves, even good old fashioned fisticuffs...Yet their numbers meant that the Super Arcosian couldn't take them all out with one or two getting a lucky strike in, leaving grizzly burns on Frieza's once snowy skin.

The jug...the jug of healing water, he had one hadn't he? Where had it gone? Must've been destroyed in the battle...didn't matter, he could go without it.

By the time Frieza dealt with all of them his gaze settled back on the blazing giant, whose visage just became more and more like King Colds the more he stared at it. With a rumbling roar, the giant shot a hand out and fired out a blazing hurricane of fire at the former tyrant, who flew straight up as fast as he could to avoid the blast.

"I...refuse to be beaten by the likes of you!" Frieza snapped, his aura flaring to life. He pushed both hands out, cupping them into a cone by the wrists. A pulsating orb of black and violet energy quickly formed in hs hands and then shot forth at the blazing beast.

With another monstrous cackle the demon raised an arm up and fired one great wave of fire at Frieza. For a brief moment it looked like the head of a dragon, snapping and roaring at Frieza, set to consume him whole.

The blasts clashed in a glorious flash of light and colour that lit up the darkness around them. But it became quickly apparent that this was a fight Frieza couldn't win, his own attack being pushed backward by the churning maelstrom of fire and heat. The Super Arcosian was giving it his all, but it seemed that in this state it simply wasn't enough.

"I won't lose! I...Cannot lose!" Frieza grunted, his veins bulging to the surface of his skin as he strained his body to the limit "I have a wife, a...a child! I won't lose, I promised them I'd return to them!" he snapped, grinding his teeth beneath his bone mask.

"I need...more...power...!"

The fifth form was a genetic anomaly, unique to the Cold bloodline. Somehow the ancient Snow King was born with his immense power and was able to tap into the fifth form through a combination of grief and rage, as Frieza and Cooler did millennia later.

But the Snow King never had need for any more power. None ever grew strong enough to challenge him in his lifetime, he was the apex predator and managed to conquer his entire world. He never faced a threat, a foe like the one before Frieza now.

The fifth form awoke from grief and rage. The sixth awoke from a combination of desperation and fear, drawing on the latent power of Frieza's bloodline in a bid to survive. Because that was what Arcosians did best. They survived.

Frieza's power seemed to increase rapidly, and with a thunderous yell his whole body began to change, glowing white hot. His energy beam seemed to triple in size, starting to rapidly gain ground on the fire demons own burning tornado of power, engulfing the red beam with a black and purple wave of power.

Frieza only faintly heard the fire demons dying shriek as he was engulfed by the Death Wave, for right now he was too consumed with the white hot pain racking every nerve of his body.

And then, everything faded to white.

* * *

When Frieza awoke it took him a few moments to realise he was laying flat on his back in the white area of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. How much of that had been real? Was any of it real?

Frieza sat up. No burns on his body, only a sligt stiffness to his muscles...the jug of healing water was gone, so that happened at least. He was in his fourth form for some reason. Looking around he could also see the temple, a dot on the horizon from here.

By the time Frieza got to his feet he definitely felt different, a shift in every portion of his being. He transformed, ascending into his fifth form with a flourish of light. He dig deep and...by god he didn't dream it. He had done it! A sixth form!

With a cackle akin to the ones he did in his despot days, Frieza's aura flared to life, forming a towering beacon of light into the infinite stretch of sky above. The ki he was releasing was beyond anything the Arcosian had ever released before, sending earthquakes and rumbles throughout the 'ground' beneath him.

The commotion was such that it awoke Cooler from his slumber in the distant temple, leading to him flying toward Frieza's ki signature as fast as he could. He halted in the air, unable to get any closer due to the tremors being launched from the epicentre of Frieza's aura.

The torrent of energy lasted for roughly 2 minutes before Frieza finished his ascension. Whisps of smoke lingered around the vents of burning ki where Frieza's bio-gems once were, lightning of varying colours crackling about his gleaming silver skin...It was hard for Cooler to believe a sixth form could even exist, or that it could be so amazing to behold.

As Cooler landed, visibly awestruck even with most of his face concealed by a bone mask, he managed to softly murmur out "What...What is this?"

"Proof." Frieza replied coolly. The power he earned through battle with the creature outside the bounds of the Time Chamber, be it a creature from a dream or a real entity, had allowed him to tap into this might.

"Proof of...of what?" Cooler asked slowly.

Beneath the mask covering his face, Frieza managed to smile "Proof that I was right and you were wrong, dear brother."

* * *

For the next few months the two brothers trained relentlessly, trying to see the upper-limits of the new sixth form, which Frieza dubbed as Super Arcosian 2. Cooler could barely touch him with his newfound levels of speed, and even whatever blows he managed to land did little more than stagger Frieza slightly.

For whatever reason, the same power evaded Cooler's reach, much to his chargrin. Still, his training had at least boosted the Super Arcosian 1 forms power to new heights, slightly stronger than a Super Saiyan 2.

In the end, they decided not to spend the remaining year inside the chamber. Frieza felt that his new form had reached more than enough power, and he could train it further aboard the Snow King. Cooler vowed he would train too, in an attempt to surpass his younger sibling.

* * *

Soon after leaving the Time Chamber, once again entering into normal time and the clean corridors of Kami's Lookout, the two Arcosian brothers spotted Popo and Dende at the edges of the Lookout, staring down at the planet. For the time being, Frieza and Cooler were in their fourth forms.

"Everything alright Dende?" Frieza asked. There was an awkwardness between them that neither would say aloud. While Frieza had repented his sins and begged forgiveness at Moori's feet years ago, neither fully forgot what happened on old Namek.

"I just got a message from King Kai in Otherworld. He says...He says that Goku was possessed by Raichi's machinery and that he was the one who killed Vegeta yesterday." Dende explained, visibly tense. Vegeta...dead? Frieza had been gone for little over a day in normal time, and yet so much had changed already.

Dende frowned and tried to focus his ki sensing "And now Gohan and Inyon are fighting for their lives against him." he added.

Frieza sighed and shook his head "Things have become very complicated, very quickly. Cooler, come. We'll have to stop Goku from killing anyone else."

"And what about Goku himself?" Cooler asked, folding his arms over is chest "If he's possessed by Tuffle technology, then there's not much we can do to help him other than-"

"It won't come to that." Frieza cut in. "I hope not, at least. I don't plan on killing Goku, not after everything we've been through. Still, we need to do something about this, we can't just let an insane AI run around with a body that powerful..." Frieza sighed and let Cooler go on ahead "We'll know what to do soon enough. I'll join you in a moment Cooler."

The former tyrant glanced toward Dende "Inside the Time Chamber, I encountered this...thing, an entity of some sort. A being comprised entirely of fire, in the darkest reaches of that dimension. What was it?"

Dende paused for a moment, before making a reply "Well...The chamber is older than me, older than you...even older than Kami. There are secrets to that place even he didn't know of...Who knows what kinds of secrets lurk in a dimension outside the bounds of conventional time and space?" he asked.

Frieza nodded slowly in response, deciding to leave it at that before he flew off to rejoin Cooler.

* * *

A/N: I do confess, I've been playing a little too mch Far Cry 3 recently, and the drug trip sequences in that did heavily influence the sequence where Frieza unlocks his power. Next chapter, Frieza vs Raichi!

Small announcement, the Spanish translation for this fic is a few chapters in. Granted, I can't understand the language, but it does make the story known to a wider audience and for that the translator has my many thanks.

Also, please be sure to check out Lake Superior's 'Rise of the G-Fighters', it's a wonderful tie-in and it's shaping up to be a real kick ass fanfic.

-Goku96: Super Arcosian 2 is slightly stronger than SSJ3, and can be maintained for a longer timespan.

-EFJRAD: Raichi was more in shock that anyone could reach a similar level of power to the one he has now. As it stands Frieza is slightly stronger than Raichi, but not to the point where it'll be a curbstomp battle.

-Kazuma Bushi: Frieza's know IT since like...Chapter 23, dude.

-Perfect Carnage: Believe me, I wish there was fanart for this story. Sadly I haven't been blessed with an art team, money to commission fanart, and my own hands become mentally retarded whenever I hold a pen with the intention of drawing.


	44. Ice and Fire

Mother and daughter broke off their spar when they sensed the massive shift in energy from across the world. "Whoa, father's back!" Glace exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear and wiping some sweat from her pale green brow "And he's gotten so much stronger too!"

Zangya frowned visibly, glancing in the direction of the energy shift "Yes, he is...Frieza...Why do you need to use so much power at once?" she asked aloud.

"Maybe he's just showing off to his friends?" Glace offered with a small tilt of her head. Zangya was less sure. Frieza wasn't quite the type to show off, at least not any more. And she had certainly felt the ki being poured out by some of Frieza's other friends...just what was going on out there?

The weight of the artificial gravity in the Snow King's training room made Zangya sway slightly, snapping her from her thoughts. "Ah...We'll find out later. Come on Glace, let's get back to training." Zangya said, flicking some orange bangs from her eyes and letting her daughter leap towards her. _'Frieza, please be safe...'_

* * *

Tien sat on the porch of his families home, his hand lazily rubbing his bandaged up shoulder. Dene had done a good job fixing his wounds, but that Kaioken Tri-Beam had still done a great deal of damage to his muscles. The Namekian child had said some of the muscle damage was too intense for him to fully heal, so Tien would need to wait a few weeks while his body finished healing naturally. Wonderful.

Still, Launch made for an excellent nurse...in her blue-haired state at least.

By Tien's estimation he had half of his full strength, so he would be no help against whatever was attacking the group right now. Even using kaioken ran the risk of tearing him apart from the inside out.

So the triclops was stuck sitting out here, but his energy sensing left him accutely aware of what was going on. Yamcha was dead too. Then he sensed Frieza's return, and the massice increase of power that went through his body. Whatever had killed Vegeta and Yamcha, maybe now their days were numbered.

His eyes slowly drifted skyward, a sad smile touching on his face "You can't hear me Frieza...But I want you to kick the crap out of the one who did all of this." Tien said solemnly.

* * *

It was Raichi who made the first move, after getting over the shock of another living creature matching the power of Goku's SSJ3 form. He swung a powerful kick out, striking Frieza across the face and sending him skidding back a few inches. Raichi dashed forth with a loud yell and then sent Frieza skidding sideways through the sands with a harsh elbow to the face. His mask showed no sign of damage from the hit.

The possessed Saiyan lunged at Frieza and shot one fist forward to punch his chest, but suddenly the vent of shifting flaming ki moved toward the incoming fist and singed at his incoming knuckles. Raichi sucked the air in through his teeth and recoiled, before being smacked a few metres backward by Frieza's lightning-fast knee.

Raichi spun through the air before slamming his feet into the dust and grinding to a halt. "Damn you...why won't you just let me have my revenge?!" the corrupted Saiyan snapped.

Frieza took a few slow, measured steps toward Raichi "You know, if we had met years ago then we'd be thick as thieves with a mutual hate of Saiyans...But I'm a living being, capable of change. You are an A.I, static and mostly unchanging. Your hatred is unchanging."

Frieza moved faster than the human eye could follow, throwing a punch out at the possessed Saiyan. Raichi was quick to raise hi arms to block, and the collision kicked up a massive shockwave that left a deep crater directly below them. Raichi was quick to counter by swinging a kick to his ribs, only for Frieza to dash backward at the last second to dodge the hit.

The Saiyan started firing off flurries of energy blast forcing the Arcosian onto the defensive, zipping backward do dodge the energy bullets heading his way. "You know nothing, Arcosian! Now hold still and die!"

"I know that revenge is a hollow emotion. It will leave you empty once you have it." Frieza remarked, just as a powerful barrier of crackling purple light formed around his body. Raichi gave a snarl and fired a wave of lime green energy at Frieza, a blast that could have killed him in one shot back on Namek, the blast colliding uselessly against the energy bubble.

The split second the wave ended, Frieza dispersed his barrier and shot his hand forward. An arc of crimson lightning shot from his palm and exploded against Raichi's chest, knocking him backward through the sky.

Frieza flew straight upward like a blur and then grabbed Raichi by the end of that absurdly long hair of his. He started spinning the possessed Saiyan about with enough force and speed to form a small cyclone around them. With that he released his grip and sent Raichi hurtling away, only to fire an energy ball into his back and launching him away at a much faster pace.

Once the Saiyan disappeared into the horizon, Frieza glanced over his shoulder to where Cooler had gathered their injured allies. "You need to get to the lookout. This battle is about to get alot more intense." he said, surprisingly calm despite the direness of the situation.

"Frieza, he...He killed..." Inyon stammered out weakly.

"I know Inyon, I know. We'll bring back those he's killed with the Dragon Balls." Frieza assured her. His gaze shifted to Gohan "I do not wish to kill your father. But if there are no other options, I'm afraid I'll have to."

Gohan frowned and managed to force himself onto his feet "Just...Only if nothing else will work. Please, I don't want to lose him again."

Frieza gave a solemn nod, before pressing two fingers to his brow and vanishing into hyperspace.

* * *

Raichi had been hurtling across the sky at massively hypersonic speeds, the land beneath him becoming little more than a blur. He was in a daze, almost incapable of correcting his trajectory right now. The computers in his systems calculated his current speed to be roughly mach 300 and quickly decelerating Clearly this Super Arcosian 2 form gave some potent boosts to physical strength and the explosive power of ki attacks.

Suddenly Frieza appeared directly above him with Instant Transmission and smashed his elbow down into the possessed Saiyan's face with enough force to launch him straight down to the ground.

He flew down until he smashed face first into a chunk of ice lazily drifting through the water, forming deep cracks in the surface on impact.

It seemed that he'd been hit so hard and travelled so far that he'd been knocked into some sort of frozen tundra. Mounds of ice of varying sizes drifting about through ice cold ocean. Raichi was quick to hop to his feet, grunting in discomfort and glaring up at Frieza.

"We're in my element right now. You stand no chance..." the Arcosian said coolly, his flickering eyes glowering down at Raichi "I'm going to offer you once chance. Surrender and leave Goku's body, or so help me I'll beat you out of there." As he spoke a plume of shifting fire left the vent on Frieza's left shoulder and came to rest in his palm, crackling with power.

"Go to hell!" Raichi snarled, firing off a football-sized orb of light green ki. Frieza fired his own attack a split second later and the two blasts collided in the air in a vibrant explosion of colour and heat. The two super warriors dashed up at each other, but jst as Frieza swung his punch down all he struck was an afterimage. Suddenly Raichi was directly above him and smashed both of his hands between Frieza's shoulder blades with enough force to send him hurtling downward.

Frieza spun down through the air but managed to land on his feet and quickly dashed backward just as Raichi drove his heel into the thick ice, shattering it further. A strong icy gale hit both of them, but neither warrior seemed to register it.

As the possessed Saiyan lunged at him, Frieza managed to react fast enough to weave backward before spinning and striking him with his silver tail. A splatter of blood escaped his lips as the strike connected and he was sent staggering back several metres.

The two warriors drove at each other again and then collided with such force that the shattered island of ice beneath them was completely obliterated into tiny shards scattered to the winds. Frieza and Raichi struck each other again and again and again, each impact sending amassive tidal wave below them and sending the other giant glacies floating away from them.

In the end, Raichi won the clash with a harsh boot to the face that send Frieza hurtling backward through the air. He zipped after his foe, kneeing Frieza in the spine, punching in the gut and then finally hitting him in the temple with a drop-kick that sent him hurtling into another glacier, forming a deep trench with his body as he skidded to a halt.

Frieza quickly hopped to his feet, smirking beneath his face mask. He had a few scuffs on his silvery skin but otherwise hadn't taken much damage from the assault.

Just as Frieza impacted against the ground he sensed a surge in Raichi's energy, and quickly raised his arms up to block. A vibrant beam of gold and green light drove down and crashed against his guard, kicking up a powerful explosion that was blinding to behold. As the flash died down Frieza was afloat in the air, steam rising from the deep crater of melted water beneath him. His silvery skin had a few new burns but nothing too troubling.

The former tyrant shot forth like a bullet and he was quick to push Raichi back onto the defensive. His blows came fast and furious, several bypassing the possessed Saiyan's guard and striking him in the stomach or the thighs. Frieza zipped behind the possessed Saiyan as he fired off a wide energy blast and quickly struck him in the back with his elbow.

A harsh blow caught Raichi in the face, a blow that would surely swell up and leave him with a black eye. His knee drove between his ribcage, making the corrupted Saiyan wheeze and sputter as the air was knocked out of him. Frieza's foot swung down in an Axe kick that struck Raichi in the jaw and sent him spiralling through the air in a pained daze. Then Frieza cupped both his fists above his head and slammed them down into Raichi's chest with such force that he was sent hurtling down through a deep crevice in the ice, smashing into the freezing water below.

Just as the body-snatcher began to collect his bearings within the water, a plan hatched in Frieza's head. His psychic powers had always been potent by Arcosian standards, honed by training and increasing his power. In this new form, his telekinetic abilities had reached new heights, unlike anything he could do in the past.

The Arcosian moved both his hands out, focusing on the two massive chunks of ice separated by a deep crevice. Each of these ice mounds was roughly a kilometer in width, 2 kilometers in length and stretched down into the sea over 180 metres. Handling each chunk with one hand was almost too easy. Frieza got a firm mental grip on both of them and then gave a small grunt as he slammed them both together, cutting off Raichi's main access to the surface. A little more time in the freezing water, and a little more fatigue done to his stolen body.

Beneath the sea Raichi was shivering, the impossible cold of the tundra's water able to effect even a Super Saiyan. He held his breath and flared his aura up, forming a vent of hot bubbles beneath the sea. He couldn't afford to waste too much ki on this, not when he was going up against a foe who could match him blow for blow right now.

The possessed Saiyan dashed up through the murky water as fast as he could, his lungs starting to burn from his near-lack of oxygen._ 'Stupid useless chimp body. Can't go five minutes without needing to breathe...'_

Much to his shock, Raichi hit ice instead of the crevice from earlier. His hands dug into the chunks of blue ice, trying to pry them apart through raw physical strength, but Frieza's telekinesis proved to be stronger and the ice held firm against the possessed Saiyan's superhuman muscles. He was getting desperate, he'd drown at this rate...then an idea came into his head.

Energy surged in his hands, a crackling a writhing mass of black and white ki. The blast erupted like a volcano from Raichi's upraised hands, cleaving upward through the two chunks of ice and up into the sky. When it face it left a massive, melted circular hole in the two glaciers. Frieza gazed into it, expecting his foe to surge up any minute, and...

Suddenly his foe materialised from behind him, his face twisted into a mask of rage despite the swelling purple bruises on it. His foot shot out and caught Frieza in the small of his back, launching him down through the air. "Not bad, I have to admit!" Raichi yelled, appearing before Frieza and kneeing him in the face with enough power to send cracks along his face mask "That attack could have actually done me in, if it weren't for Goku's handy Instant Transmission ability!"

A storm of punches struck Frieza wherever the vents of flaming ki couldn't reach, each strike staggering the former tyrant back through the air. Raichi dashed down, caught Frieza's tail in his hands and then swung him into one of the giant ice formations, shattering it into quarters when he struck against it and kicking up a large cloud of pale blue mist. Before Frieza could counter, the possessed Saiyan drove both his hands forth and let out a powerful barrage of white hot ki bullets aiming for the shattered ice field.

Frieza dashed and dodged desperately, a sea of explosions following his every move, but it seemed that the barrage would quickly consume thought quickly and fired a crving arc of purple energy at his foe, which Raichi casually swerved to avoid. However in the brief respite Frieza managed to focus on Raichi and used Instant Transmission to zip up toward him and punch him in the ribs, causing the Saiyan's eyes to bulge from his head.

As Raichi snapped himself from his daze, the three vents of burning energy on Frieza's chest and shoulders seemed to link together and then fired off one immolating blast of varying colours that struck the possessed Saiyan's chest and left a black scorch on his body. Raichi yowled in pain and fell back through the air, clutching at the smoking portion of his chest.

"Son of a bitch, just like that damned Namek's fireballs..." Raichi spat, his chest heaving in a miture of exertion and pain.

Beneath his cracked mask, Frieza smirked "I was born in ice, but now I've braved fire and made it my own." he remarked, placing his hands on his hips "I wonder if Slak felt this way when he first unlocked the depths of his mystic abilities..."

Raichi roared like the apes the Saiyans desended from, dashing at Frieza like a pale green comet. Frieza fired off a bolt of purple energy but Raichi spun to avoid it and pressed on until his knee caught Frieza in the forehead. The impact sent the Arcosian reeling backward through the air, but Raichi was quick to grab him by his curved horns and fling him down to a distant plateau of craggy ice.

On impact the ice shattered apart, and Frieza was sent skidding through the island of ice, the vent on his torso melting any ice it came into contact with. As Frieza pushed himself onto his feet, a sharp pain ran through his stomach, making him grunt slightly. He touched a silver hand to the source of the pain and then pulled back, seeing some of his alien blood glinting on his fingertips. He must have cut himself on the icicles.

A shame really. This form wasn't invulnerable by the look of things. He never realised as much in the time chamber, because Cooler could never do any serious damage to him when they sparred. Still, it hardly mattered. He was still the stronger one in this fight.

Frieza turned slowly, casting his gaze up at Raichi. There was a grin on his face, slightly distorted by his slowly swelling eye. "You're done for, lizard." Raichi hissed, pushing one hand out. Sparks of green and black ki began to gather in his palm until he had a shimmering mass of black ki in his hand, green lightning arcing about it "I'll end this, with my Revenge Buster..."

"Making up new attacks, are we?" Frieza asked, forming a gun with his left index and middle finger. He took aim at the possessed Saiyan, a red and gold dot of ki forming at his finger tips. Slowly several plumes of fire left the vents on his body and merged with the small bubble of ki at his fingertips, making it swell in size until it was like a burning baseball-sized bolt of energy "Then have a taste of my Supernova Death Beam!" Frieza snarled, firing off his blast just as Raichi launched down his own orb of corrupt energy.

* * *

A/N: The final battle between Raichi and Frieza, it all ends next chapter! Will Frieza be able to save Goku? Will Raichi pull a dirty trick on Frieza too? How will it all end?!

A small aside, we are on the cusp of 500 reviews. Now that is pretty freaking awesome right there, I never dreamed this story would be anywhere near this popular. Thanks to all my faithful readers and reviewers, an here's hoping we can reach 600 one day.

-Pointer39: Honestly I'm not sure what I'll do once the Raichi saga is over. I'm considering doing Janemba as I had some interesting ideas for that character. Though it's also likely that the fic will go on a hiatus until Battle of Gods comes out, since I want to know if it'll be worth doing.

-Silverhawk88: Well from my own understanding, Ruga-Rell has vanished off the face of the internet and I wouldn't feel right about harassing Roketto for artwork.

-MRD: Ah ah ah, no spoilers.


	45. Sturm und Drang

The light of the clashing energy attacks was blinding to behold, turning the whole sky white from the burst of illumination. Neither of the super warriors turned their gazes from the sight, unwilling to flinch of give ground to each other.

The noise was deafening to hear, the crash of thunder over and over and over again, a noise that could be heard from miles away. Again, neither of the warriors showed discomfort from the rolling chants of deafening blasts.

Frieza stood his ground firmly, his feet digging deep into the slowly melting ice. The heat was nothing to Frieza, not after enduring that hellish blaze that lurked in the darkest reaches of the hyperbolic time chamber...However the ice couldn't claim to have his sense of durability, it could collapse beneath him any moment if he didn't start gaining ground.

Above him, Raichi was snapping and snarling like a rabid dog. He was putting a great deal of force into his Revenge Buster, but he seemed incaoable of gaining any ground against Frieza's own blast. _'This is bad.' _he thought to himself _'My time in this form is running short, and every second I spend trying to maintain this blast means even less energy to use against this stupid Arcosian lizard...'_

Energy rippled along Raichi's stolen body and he quickly fired three smaller bullets of ki into his Revenge Buster, the blasts merging together into one mass of light that pushed a few inches further against Frieza's Supernova Death Beam. The attack, with its new size, was gaining some ground but just not enough.

Frieza's knees trembled slightly from the increased strain against his energy wave, the force sending him sliding back a few inches into the melting sludgy pool of ice. "Son of a bitch..." Frieza spat, clenching his teeth together. "Well then...I guess I have no choice..."

The blazing vents of energy that dotted the Arcosian's body flared to life, swirling up like crackling serpents along the surface of Frieza's Death Beam. There was a glorious boom of power at the tip of the blast, a crown of fire expanding from where the two energy blasts collided. Fire engulfed Raichi's energy blast and then the Death Beam itself shot clean through the bulet of ki like a spear, a vibrant explosion ringing out when the Revenge Buster exploded like a popped balloon.

The beam was flying straight up toward Raichi, his black and green eyes wide with shock. "Forgive me for this Goku!" Frieza yelled over the cacophony of noise. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as the beam drew closer to his mark.

Summoning up his energy, Raichi managed to push past his shock and rapidly pivot to one side. The beam carried on it's original course and only got glancing blow on Raichi's chest, leaving aburning diagonal scar that ran from navel to breast.

"He...That could have killed me!" Raichi snapped, seething in pain and glowering down at the stoic Frieza. "Are you out of your mind?! This is your friends body you fool!"

"I'm well aware. Much as I dislike the schmaltz, I have grown to think of Goku as my friend...which is why I understand that he'd rather die than let you continue your mayhem wearing his skin." Frieza remarked. Droplets of water dripped from his toes as he started to float up from the sloshing pool of water where he stood mere moments ago. "I'll feel remorse if it comes to killing Goku, but I know that he'd prefer death to the dishonour you're putting him through."

Raichi snorted and sat into the raging sea below them, the melting of the glaciers raising the water far higher than before. "That's what I think of your honour...for that matter, what would you of all people know about honour? You've done far worse things than I have, even if you claimed to have redeemed yourself."

The words rang true, but Frieza looked unmoved. "I can't deny what a monster I have been. Some would even say that I haven't atoned for every crime I have done...But that's not the point. I know Goku to be a righteous man of inflexible morals. He's a hero who puts himself before all others. He'd die to stop you, and if he must die this day then I know he'd understand why if it meant stopping you from ever harming another living being."

Frieza lowered himself into a fighting stance, and a sense of dread slowly rose up through Raichi's whole form "You...Don't you dare! Stay back!" Raichi snarled.

He didn't. The Arcosian shot forth like a rocket and slammed his knee into Raichi's face, a cloud of blood staining his silver skin. He blow sent him hurtling away through the sky, and then Frieza rapidly dashed after and intercepted him.

Frieza swung his legs up, ready to catch the corrupted Saiyan's neck between his legs with a scissor kick. At the last second Raichi reappeared directly behind Frieza and started to hammer him from behind with powerful punches from his right arm. "I've had enough of this! You have no concept of my pain! I will never stop!"

The possessed Saiyan's fist crackled and glowed as Raichi charged it with ki, and he punched Frieza in the small of his back. An explosion burst from the impact, sending Frieza a few metres forward and leaving a burnt black bruise on his silvery skin.

The Arcosian lord spun in the air, shooting one lanky leg backward to disorient his foe. Raichi was nimble enough to dodge, but Frieza's heel did scrap off the burnt scr on his chest with enough force to make him hiss in pain. His burnt palms firmly gripped Frieza's curved horns and he started to spin him through the air in a firm Dragonthrow before releasing his grip and sending Frieza hurtling downward through the air in the direction of one looming glacier, the size of four city blocks.

On impact Frieza's body went clean through the side of the glacier with enough power to spit the hulking mass of ice right in half. Waves of freezing water crashed all about the newly halved islands of ice. Frieza didn't allow a droplet to touch him, his shifting and rippling aura forcing the water away from him and emitting enough force to push the ice awy from him at a faster pace.

"Mnh...Okay, I have to admit, those blows actually did hurt." Frieza remarked. He stretched his limbs and worked the kinks out of his muscles before settling his warped eyes on Raichi in the air above him. "But I doubt you can keep the effort up for much longer."

"Talking trash won't help you." Raichi replied grimly. Of course, the Super Arcosian certainly had a point. His whole body felt so heavy, and all the energy he stole from Inyon and Gohan was fast running out. Perhaps it would have been better if he let the ruse go on a little longer, he could have trained this body to handle the third form all the better...oh well, no time for what could have been. "I'm still able to use this form."

"For the time being...That said, I have quite a bit of leway right now my friend. Your stolen body has had access to this form for...What, three days now? I got a few months of practice with this form. The strain is growing in me too, but I feel I'll outlast you by quite a margin." Frieza explained. "And do you know why? I've had a few months of practice in this form. I'll win and have enough power left to go buy a nice crate of hippocras on the way home."

Now that was just rude, and Raichi's face flushed red from a mixture of indignation and fury.

The two rushed at each other again, moving at a blinding pace that left sonic booms behind the both of them. They clashed all across the ice fields, their impacts resonating with a violent and thunderous noise that carried off for miles around,

_**BOOM boom BOOM boom BOOM boom BOOM boom BOOM boom BOOM boom BOOM boom BOOM**_

Islands shattered into clouds of pale blue mist and shards of ice, massive rippling tidal waves surged up from the impacts. The two moved so fast that the explosions seemed to be happening in a dozen different locations at the same time. Finally it was Raichi who broke the stalemate with a firm kick to Frieza's temple that launched him up into the sky.

Frieza righted himself, but no sooner had he done that was Raichi rushing him again, The two flew around each other like dogs sizing each other up, the hypersonic speed of their circular motion beginning to form a cyclone around them in the sky.

The two super warriors dashed forth, striking at each other repeatedly in the eye of the hurricane, the raging winds around them causing storms and tidal waves in the sea below. They flew higher and higher into the darkening sky, growing faster with each passing moment.

But, when they reached the lower end of the stratosphere they stopped abruptly. The funnel of wind they had kicked up in their battle began to disperse. Raichi's pale green aura projected a small pocket of atmosphere to protect him from the cold and the dwindling oxygen, while also providing the air needed to speak and create noise. Frieza had no need for such formalities, he just stood stoic and glowered at the SSJ3.

"You look a little beat up there Frieza..." Raichi remarked, glancing to the black marks and the oozing purple gash that marked Frieza's chest. "Might be I'd be willing to let you go off with your tail between your legs if you surrender now..." he remarked.

"Keep dreaming." Frieza replied dryly. "You look black and blue over, you can't even stand up straight anymore...Quite frankly it'd be a mercy for me to end your life here and now."

A chill seemed to run up Raichi's spine, and his clenched fists trembled for just a moment "I...I told you, that this is your friends body. If I die he dies too! If you'd doom him and take his life and family from him, then you haven't changed at all!"

Frieza's lip curled slightly into a sort of half-smile. "Ah but that's where you're wrong. Were I still the man who fought Goku on Namek, I'd sit idly by and let you use his body to slaughter his friends and family while wearing his face. Sadly for you, I'm more of a...lawman nowadays. I'll either beat you by killing Goku..."

She shot forth like a rocket, and Raichi only narrowly blocked the incoming punch with his upraised forearm, the force of the strike causing his whole body to shake. "Or I'll squeeze you out of there like toothpaste..."

Frieza's tail cracked across Raichi's burnt chest like a whip, making him recoil in pain. The Arcosian was quick to press his advantage with a firm upward kick to the jaw that sent him swooping upward higher into the upper atmosphere, and then with instant transmission he intercepted the possessed Saiyan just quick enough to spike him straight upward like a volleyball.

The two clashed as they rose higher, but Raichi was running out of steam at this point. He managed to land a few strong kicks and chops to Frieza but the damage was only fleeting and barely slowed the former tyrant in the slightest. By the time they breached the mesosphere Raichi's punched were moving slow that Frieza was weaving around all of them.

"You're finished!" Frieza yelled, launching a crackling white ball of ki from his palm that exploded against the possessed Saiyan's chest and launched him a mile upward from the explosive power.

Raichi righted himself, his sickly green aura flaring up as much as it could like a small green star in the heavens. "No! I will not die here! Not yet, and not to you!" His hands cupped at his hips and Frieza's glowing eyes widened slightly. He was slightly surprised by the maneuver but he didn't stop his rapid advance toward Raichi.

"Kame...Hame..." An orb of lime green light speckled with flecks of blue lightning began to grow in his cupped hands. It seemed as if his aura itself was flowing into the blast to compensate for his dwindling energy. The orb grew and crackled, and then finally Raichi fired the wave with a resounding "HA!"

The beam struck Frieza from almost 20 feet away from it's caster, clashing against the silver of Frieza's outstretched left arm. The wave was slowing his progress a fair bit and starting to form black burns upon his once silver flesh...but it was quite clear that this was not an effort that Raichi could maintain, certainly not for very long.

"You are a...sad and deluded computer program..." Frieza growled, slowly pulling his right fist back. The vent of energy on his shoulder released a steady stream of fire until it turned into a white blaze dancing and crackling with power along his knuckles. He was closing the distance now, little over five feet in distance between himself and the caster of the dwindling Kamehameha wave. "It's all over for you! STAY DOWN THIS TIME!" Frieza snapped.

He swerved slightly around the blast and then drove his fist down into Raichi's back with a flashing burst of explosive light when the gathered energy left his fist, the force sending Raichi hurtling straight down through space toward the earth.

Raichi was screaming, yelling, thrashing as he fell from the heavens. Tongues of fire lashed at his body from the power of reentry, until his possessed body looked like a roaring red comet heading to earth. He tried to flare his remaining energy into a small barrier, set to cushion his impact slightly as the ground drew closer and closer.

Frieza had punched him with enough force to level a mountain though,...Seemed that the damage reduction would be fairly minimal.

Frieza himself was flying close behind, an egg-shaped shield of purple ki growing out around his body to protect him from the blaze rocking around him. While his expression couldn't really be read due to the nature of his current transformation, he was feeling a greater strain growing on his body.

Raichi crashed into a grassland, the force of his body impacting the earth however proved strong enough to destroy the lush greenery for miles around, The impact formed an explosive dome of heat that grew to the size of a city, devouring all life in its wake. When it cleared, Raichi was laying flat on his back. His stolen body was battered, broken in many ways. Naked. Untransformed. Powerless...Finally.

'This cannot be...Why am I the one who has to fall?' the machine thought, gradually releasing whatever control it had inside Goku's body. Frieza slowly lowered himself to the earth and landed a few metres from the downed Saiyan closely, making sure he was really down.

'No...No I still have a chance. The Arcosian, he he has cuts on his body...I can take him, I can rule his body, none will ever oppose me again...' Frieza took a few slow steps closer, a few metres away from the possessed Saiyan. 'Now or never!'

Goku's head jerked up violently, the spew of red metal flying out of his maw like bloody vomit. It dove toward the open wound on Frieza's body, cackling madly and set to take him too, and...

It stopped, frozen in mid-air. Frieza had extended one hand outward, clasping Raichi's nanomachine 'body' with telekinesis. Every little molecule of machinery, firmly under his power."There you are you slippery little slug..." Frieza said,a golden bubble of energy growing around the machine to keep it contained "I felt you wriggling around in there alright, but I was reluctant to just tear you out. I was willing to kill Goku, but I wasn't too keen on making a mess out of him."

"What is...release me!" the puddle of red goo snarled, banging futilely against the golden imprisonment ball "I will have my revenge!"

Frieza made a small 'tsk'ing sound and then slowly started to float up off the ground heading for the sky, the bubble following behind him "Honestly, even now that's all you can think of. There's an earth term for someone like you...A broken record."

With a loud BOOM Frieza's speed seemed to quadruple, he and the ball of light shooting straight up into the heavens at hypersonic speeds. Fire and lightning danced across Frieza's body when they broke through to the mesosphere. Frieza just kept moving faster and faster.

"No! No! This isn't fair! This isn't right!" the puddle of liquid metal shrieked, banging against the walls of the bubble every chance he got. He seemed to forget that in outer space he'd be even more helpless...not that Frieza was willing to take any chances.

They left the atmosphere altogether then and another boom of speed went through Frieza's body as he forced himself to move twice the speed of light and continuing to gradually gain speed. The bubble behind him matched his speed perfectly of course.

Soon enough they were zooming past Venus, his eyes focused on the blazing sun. A small protective barrier of energy formed over both of his eyes to protect him from retinal damage.

The goo seemed to stop struggling, it's 'eyes' focusing in the direction of the burning gas orb before them "Where...What are you doing to me?"

"Disposing of you." Frieza replied flatly, his flying coming to a sudden halt. He moved his hand, the imprisonment ball moving with the motion of his fingertips, and then took aim at the sun. "Good riddance to bad rubbish."

A pulse of light exploded from his palm and the imprisonment ball was sent hurtling away so fast that it seemed to warp into a bullet of light. the creature shrieked or tried to at least, but even if through some miracle he managed to free himself from the imprisonment ball he would still be pulled in by the suns gravity at that point.

The bubble of energy reached one several hundred kilometre long tongue of fire from the sun...And in a rather unspectacular fashion every last atom of Dr. Raichi's 'ghost' was eradicated from the universe, consumed by solar fire. A fitting end.

Frieza gradually let his shoulders slump and gave a low sigh of exertion "God I am exhausted.." he slowly pressed two fingers to his forehead and scanned about for Goku's ki signature "Ah ha! Still alive, excellent." With that, Frieza vanished into hyperspace.

* * *

The Arcosian lord reappeared by Goku, his body a crumpled mess on the ground. Frieza managed to stand stoic for a few moments...before his whole body glowed white and he reverted to his fourth form, whereupon he collapsed on the ground directly beside Goku. "Ugh...Don't ask me to save you again, that was such a pain..."

Goku gave a weak chuckle and flashed a thumbs up to Frieza "I saw the whole thing...I'm so impressed..." he croaked out weakly "I wanna...Fight you in that new form of yours."

"Later...You are far too obsessed with fighting and training..." Frieza muttered in response.

"I can't help it...it's fun..." Goku still had that dopey grin on his face despite all that had transpired already. He was far too carefree...Then again it would be hard not to be elated after reclaiming your body from a mechanical miscreant "Anyway...when do you...think we should...go get the Dragon Balls? We gotta go and...wish our friends back..."

Frieza groaned, trying to sit up "Later. I think I pushed myself a little too far there...Plus I need to grab some wine on the way home, I need a drink like there's no tomorrow..."

Goku shrugged...and then immediately sucked air in through his teeth when the pain hit him. The two laid there for a few moments, patient and waiting on the off-chance that Raichi was somehow still alive...Minutes passed by but...it seemed it really was all over.

"So..." Goku said, breaking the silence "You've come to think of me as your friend eh? You'd feel remorse if you had to kill me?"

"Shut up." Frieza grumbled.

"You think of me as a guy with unflexible morals? Well thank you buddy." Goku teased, grinning at the glowering Arcosian.

"I should have killed you on Namek." Frieza said dryly.

The two men broke out in laughter, enjoying each others company and basking in the afterglow of a well-earned victory against earth's greatest threat.

...Thus far.

* * *

A/N: Thus endeth the Raichi saga, huzzah! Next will be...possibly a little hiatus, I want to think on the potential next sagas. There'll likely be 2 more before a tidy ending.

**-TheImmodestSaiyan: If this is in any way a knock at the Death Battle, then you once more have gratitude.**

Ah, sorry but I fully supported the result of the Death Battle. I seem to be among a small minority of DBZ fans who actually do...

**-Lemonlime77: So will Hirudegarn be an Arc as well before/after/instead of the potential Janemba arc?**

Sorry, but I wasn't a fan of the Hirudegarn movie. Wildly inconsistent and as far as movie villains go Hirudegarn was just too flat for my tastes.

**-Ocnarf: You have not thought about doing a crossover with DC Comics.**

Well I might. Not a big epic story or annything, but maybe when I've done this one I'll make little ideas, mini-series'. Possibly.

**-firelifeblizzard: what about buu?**

No Buu.

**-Ryu no Ohni: Also, taking Artistic Biological License to an extreme is...disappointing. In a related vein, why try to pair Frieza with anyone at all? In canon he's almost certainly established as a consummate egoist, meaning that, aside from propagating his line, he probably wouldn't be interested in a relationship with anyone. I dunno, Zangya's whole incorporation into the story seemed a little shoe-horned. **

First let me thank you for taking the time to gather your opinions and write them, a little constructive criticism is always good. I suppose the romance thing exists for a few reasons really. First, I like Zangya and wanted to keep her in canon somehow. C'mon, how rare are the Z-women who can actually throw a good punch? Aside from 18 and Chi Chi, they're pretty rare. As for making the relationship itself, well I wanted to show that Frieza had grown enough as a person to form some kind of meaningful bond with anyone...Someone who was also once a galactic terrorist wanting to reform gave me a sort of 'Birds of a feather' vibe. Plus people did kind of want Frieza hooking up with someone, and Frieza never struck me as a celibate person.

That said it's not the worst choice I could have made. Initially I had considered Inyon hooking up with Frieza, but even I felt having him become attracted to a Saiyan was a step too far.

As for biology...I think it'z safe to say DB already has a strained relationship with any science that isn't fiction.

**-Blue Cat: I realise this is Dragonball we're talking about, and that the characters are doing ridiculously overpowered things all the time, but mentioning exact speeds like that is asking for trouble.**

If there's one thing I've learned about writing Dragon Ball is that it doesn't hurt to be hyperbolic. I'm hardly going to check numbers or anything, mainly because physics is for nerds and also because it has no actual place in DBZ. Honestly just throw in some big numbers that sound impressive, and it should be fine.


	46. Limbo

"Oh lord..." Frieza muttered, staring at the new e-mails present on his holo-screen. "I swear, ever since Goku got access to the internet he's been e-mailing every little thing he finds to be humorous..."

"So just assign his e-mail address to the spam filter." Zangya remarked dryly, walking past the Arcosian with a steaming cup of coffee resting in her hands.

"I can't do that. Since Raichi's rampage three months ago, he's been filled with guilt over everything that Tuffle did while in his body...even after all his crimes were undone with the Dragon Balls..." Frieza replied, lazily deleting several of the e-mails "Still, he's sent me that video of the monkey peeing in his mouth a dozen times now...and don't even get me started about the thing with the two girls and the cup."

Zangya gave a small sigh "Thank god Glace was asleep at the time..." she strolled over and pressed a finger to Frieza's ivory torso. "You need to talk to that Saiyan, make sure he understands what he can or can't send our way."

A low sigh escaped Frieza's lips "I know, I know. I'll get to it soon I suppose, things have been rather peaceful as of late."

It was at that moment that Ais and Polarri came in, with Ais carrying a sleepy Glace on her back. "And how is my daughter this morning?" Frieza asked, managing to smile at his offspring.

"I hate mornings." Glace murmured softly in response.

"She hates mornings." Polarri concurred "Not that I blame her, I was the same at her age."

"Can't change that." Ais chimed in.

Frieza leaned in and placed a finger just under his daughters chin "Now now dear, when I was your age I had to be up even earlier than this. I had my morning lessons, an afternoon spar with combat instructors, followed by more lessons and then I got my freedom. A little morning of math and reading isn't that hard, is it?" the Arcosian asked.

"No..I guess not." Glace mumbled, rubbing sleep from her eyes "Okay, I'll do my morning lessons. What are you gonna do today father?"

"Oh nothing much dear. I simply have to deal with Goku's stupidity...again..."

* * *

"Dad would you please stop watching the video of the monkey peeing in his own mouth?" Gohan remarked dryly, rubbing the bridge of his nose while Goku and Goten giggled at the internet video before them.

Goku looked back to his oldest son, a wild grin on his face "Aw c'mon Gohan, you laughed at it in the past too!" he pleaded.

Gohan gave a small sigh "Yes, when you first showed it to me. Three months ago." he replied dryly. He watched his dad and brother, and he had to admit how alike they were. Chi Chi once said Goten was the spitting image of Goku as a kid.

"Well how about this video? Man gets head stuck in elephant's butt...Hehe..." Goku remarked, clicking on another video link.

Gohan shook his head "Come on you guys, at least turn the volume down. Videl will be coming over today and I don't want her to see...that. There really needs to be a villain attack soon or something. You're no good when you have free time on your hands...Well, except for when you're training..." Gohan murmured.

* * *

It was another busy day at the Otherworld Check-In Station, the gateway between the living world and the afterlife. King Yemma sat at his mahogany desk, judging the influx of souls on whether they'd go to heaven or hell, or if they'd need to go to the soul cleaner machine to remove little bits of evil from their spirits.

Most common was the latter option, and as a result the tanks of pure evil energy were rather large in number. On most days the machinery was tended by skilled and experienced workers. Not...quite the case with today.

Today a young ogre by the name of Saike (A teen who only got this job because if a relative pulling strings for him) was taking care of the cleaner machine. Rather, he was SUPPOSED to be watching the machine and should have been changing the tank that was about to overload, but as it stood he was more interested in listening to the death metal blaring in his headphones.

"Aw man, this solo kicks ass!" Saike exclaimed, performing a quick air-guitar riff. He was a young man of average height with red skin, two small horns and a brown bowlcut of hair. He was clad in a yellow hoodie, a blue shirt, yellow shorts and brown boots that seemed two sizes too big for him.

Behind him, one tank of pure evil energy began to crackle with purple lightning. The lightning arced and spread, a web of jagged light, forming and jumping all along the ring of cannisters already filled with the demonic energy.

Just as Saike finished his air-guitar riff and punched a fist into the air, one tank exploded behind him. A chain reaction was triggered, the tanks of evil energy exploding all around Saike and filling the air with plumes of black and purple smoke.

"Oh man oh man!" Saike yelped, dashing over to the emergency fire extinguisher and plucking it up "Oh man...I am so gonna get fired!"

A blue-skinned oni foreman dashed down the ancient stone steps leading to the soul-cleaner machine, his shocked eyes fixing themselves onto Saike "Hey you get outta there now! That's incredibly dangerous!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Saike turned his mouth opening to say...something. 'Sorry?' 'Help me?' It didn't matter, it was too late. A wave of purple smoke washed over him, and now the dark purple clouds. When the smoke briefly cleared, Saike looked very very wrong.

One half of his face had warped and shifted into a pudgy yellow visage, grotesquely out of proportion with the rest of his head. The creature grinned a simple childlike grin and then softly said "Ja...Nem...Ba..."

The creature that had once been Saike giggled slightly and then his body began to grow and warp in size. He grew into a flabby, skyscraper-sized yellow-skinned monster with odd purple parts on his forearms and legs.

As he changed his power skyrocketed to ungodly heights, and the mystic properties of the evil energy he absorbed was giving him control over reality itself. He warped and twisted the fabric of otherworld. The barrier in hell was shattered, the clouds were converted into giant diamond-hard multicoloured jelly beans in the sky...And lastly one of those beans encased the check-in station.

And when the check-in station was closed, there was no barrier between the living world and the otherworld.

* * *

Frieza seemed to suddenly materialise directly behind Goku, two fingers pressing into his brow. "We seriously need to talk about what you e-mail me." Frieza remarked, frowning.

"Aw what..." Goku remarked, glancing at Frieza over his shoulder. There was a time when Frieza appearing in Goku's house would have filled him with fear and dread, back when Frieza was a despotic tyrant. Nowadays Goku trusted Frieza just as much as he did Vegeta.

"I wouldn't mind as much, if you didn't send me the same stuff so many time. How can you watch that monkey pee so many times?!" Frieza snapped.

The two were soon engaged in a veral debate on the nature of funny internet videos and e-mail etiquette. Gohan and Goten watched the verbal exchange in awe, while Chi Chi rolled her eyes and started to set the table for the upcoming lunch.

The debate was still going when Videl peered in the door, her eyes soon fixing on Frieza and Goku. "Um...Is this a bad time?" Videl asked, glancing to Chi Chi.

"No no, of course not dear. This is becoming increasingly common around here." Chi Chi replied. An annoyed vein popped up on her forehead. Videl was a rich girl, and if she married Gohan it would make Chi Chi's insane family much better off...But that wouldn't happen if she got scared off by that yelling Arcosian.

She firmly clasped the wooden rice spoon in her hand and then flung it at Frieza, the utensil bouncing off his forehead and making Frieza yelp in pain. "Agh! You demented she-beast!" Frieza yelled.

Goku burst out laughing and very nearly fell from his chair. Gohan looked about ready to die of embarrassment "Videl, I'm really sorry about all this."

"Oh ah...It's okay. Not the weirdest thing ever." Videl replied, strolling cautiously into the house and trying to ignore Frieza's fuming.

Goku seemed eager for lunch, and was just getting to his feet when he heard a beeping coming off of Videl's watch. Hercule's daughter cocked her head curiously before tapping the sides of the watch "This is Videl, go ahead."

"Videl we got some serious problems."

"Eh? What's up?" Videl asked.

"It's...It's pretty crazy, you'll have to come down and see for yourself."

Frieza and Goku exchanged uneasy glances "You sense that too, right?" Goku asked, his expression becoming far more serious.

"Yes...A great number of ki signatures seemed to have materilised out of thin air. Some of them feel quite familiar." Frieza mved to the front door of Goku's home and opened it up "I can sense my father out there. Come on, let's go and take care of business."

Chi Chi yelled after the group as they left "HEY! What about all this food?!"

Goku gave a nervous laugh as his aura flared up around him "Don't worry Chi Chi, we'll be right back." he replied, just before he and the others shot off into the air.

"Ugh...Videl's going to think Gohan comes from a family of lunatics...which he does..." Chi Chi murmured.

* * *

A white hot bolt of light escaped Cell's eyes, the explosive force of the beams vaporising several unfortunate cityfolk who were too slow to dodge the strike. "Hehe...I don't know how I'm back among the living again, and I don't care. All I know is that now I have a chance for revenge against Gohan and all his worthless friends."

"Is that so, Cell?" a familiar, harsh voice called from above. Cell turned swiftly, his eyes settling on Vegeta. The prince's gloved hands were on he sides of his blue tank top as he landed a few metres away from the bio-android.

A mocking smirk crossed Cell's face as he tried to gauge Vegeta's power "My my Vegeta, just look at how tall you've grown since I've been gone." he mocked. Vegeta kept his cool and didn't take the bait "Still, I doubt you've grown strong enough to beat me."

"Is that so, you insectoid freak?" Vegeta mocked, sinking down into a fighting stance. A shimmering gold light grew around his body, before exploding into his Super Saiyan 1 aura.

Cell visibly tensed, but he was soon smirking cockily once again. His own aura exploded outward and pale arcs of lightning crackled around his body "You're stronger than before, I admit. But even if you transformed into an Ascended Super Saiyan now, you still wouldn't surpass me."

However Vegeta's power continued to increase, and the Saiyan prince had a manic grin on his face "Then lucky for me, I can go beyond that form!" Vegeta yelled, before a golden flash from his body illuminated the ruined city streets and shattered the asphalt beneath him. Cell watched in horror as lightning circled around Vegeta's body, and he took a slow step back "Super Saiyan 2, bitch!" Vegeta spat.

Cell gaped and staggered back, just before Vegeta shot forward and smashed his fist into Cell's face. The shockwave shattered windows all around them and sent Cell hutling alost a mile up above the city. His ebony chitinous wings extended out to slow his ascent, and soon Cell was fully horizontal in the air and parallel to the ground below.

"One...punch! How the hell could Vegeta have gotten so much stronger?!" Cell snarled, clenching his nails into his purple palms with such force that he very nearly broke the skin. "No...I'm perfect...I can't possibly lose here...I'm perfect!"

Vegeta shot straight into the sky like a rocket, his fist cocked back for a powerful punch. Cell crossed his arms in a desperate bid do block the attack, but the impact was so powerful that it very nearly broke his guard. While Cell's whole body was recoiling, Vegeta used his superior speed to zip around and drive his elbow into one of Cell's wings, sending deep cracks along it and making Cell yowl in agony.

The bio-android spun through the air and drove his heel straight into Vegeta's face. The strike knocked Vegeta back a few feet, and a small trickle of blood passed his nostrils, but he seemed no worse for wear.

Cell's fists moved like green blurs, whipping and snapping at Vegeta. The prince of all Saiyans moved with a blinding speed, weaving and ducking under the incoming strikes. Cell was smart enough to know Vegeta could counter several of these strikes effortlessly with the gap in speed between them. It was at that moment that a horrible realisation dawned over Cell.

Vegeta was toying with him.

"DAMN YOU!" Cell roared, his golden aura practically tripling in size from his rage. Vegeta was even knocked back a little by the outpouring of power, and Cell's increase in ki did cause his rapid punches and kicks to strike Vegeta with glancing blows.

Cell shot one foot down and buried it firmly into Vegeta's gut, and while the hit was able to wind Vegeta, the prince had managed to catch Cell's leg. His gloved fingers dug into ebony armour with enough force to form a spiderweb of cracks in the surface, and with a mighty swing of his arms Vegeta sent Cell hurtling even higher into the sky.

Vegeta took aim at the spiralling mutant, a powder blue ball of concentrated energy forming into his palm. And then, with a flourish, the ball was flung skyward and engulfed the reborn villain in its light, utterly vaporising him. Back in the afterlife...for the time being, anyway.

"Tch, perfect life-form my ass..." Vegeta scoffed, powering down to his base form. "Still, what's bringing all these losers back from the dead?" he asked aloud. Indeed it had been a very hectic day so far. On the way over here alone, Vegeta had to deal with Appule, Cui and Nappa. Goddamn Nappa.

"I suppose Kakarot will know what's going on." Vegeta added just as his aura flashed up again. He flew off into the horizon, following the familiar energy of the low-class Saiyan.

* * *

Zangya's icy blue eyes focused on the television screen before her, watching the frantic news reports talking about zombies, ghosts and monsters appearing in cities across the globe. Armies from empires long dead, long dead relatives returning to families...and despots from the past wreaking havoc any way they could.

"Ugh...Is there ever a normal year on this planet?" Zangya scoffed. She flicked some orange bangs from her eyes and then looked to Glace. Her half-Heran daughter was dilligent when it came to studies, oblivious to everything arund her...or so it seemed at first. When Zangya took a closer look, it seemed Glace was scribbling cats onto her paper.

Zangya shook her head and turned back to the various images on the screen. One stood out to her, a picture of a rampage in west city, an area decently close to the Snow King. On the screen was an image of Bojack, thrashing anything in his path.

A flash of anger briefly crossed her face. Bojack, the bastard who was willing to kill her just to catch his opponents off-guard. Now that was just plain rude. Bastard needed to be shown the error of his ways.

"Say sweetie." Zangya remarked, turning back to her daughter "Would you like to take a break from studying and go on a brief trip to the city with me?"

"Oh, yes, please. I can't focus on this stuff anymore." Glace replied, setting her pen down and hopping to her feet. Glace was a powerful girl, born stronger than her peers due to having two parents of potent strength and having the ability to transform and become even stronger. She'd be in no real danger.

"Let's get going then sweetie." Zangya replied sweetly, walking along with her daughter through the corridors of the vast ship.

* * *

In hell, the deceased had no access to their physical bodies. It was a measure taken by the gods decades ago when they realised the vast power gap between the guard oni and some of the more powerful villains in the universe. it would be trivial for a villain to escape hell otherwise, or even to train and become even stronger when in Hell.

A side effect of this is that when an evil soul is returned to their body it is returned to how it was before death. In King Cold's case he was reborn in his third form.

The former ruler of the north galaxy stared in contempt at the fleeing humans in the street below. Ants, these humans. A useless race on the whole. Then again, King Cold seemed to think as much of all races. He slowly lifted his index fingers, red sparks of light forming on his fingertips. It would just be so simple to-

"Father!" Frieza snarled from above.

Cold turned in the air, his gaze focusing on his youngest son floating in the air before him. Beside him stood Goku, while Gohan and Videl quickly dispersed to tend to the civilians. "Ah, son, I knew you'd be back too..." he said warily. "But why are you with that monkey?"

"I am not dead, father." Frieza replied "And that monkey, as you call him, is a friend of mine." Cold seemed shocked by that, but Frieza spoke up again before Cold could interrupt "That is unimprtant right now though. I know what you did to my mother."

If there were two words that perfectly summed up King Cold's expression in this instance, they would be 'oh shit.'

"N-now son...No need to be rash. I don't know what you mean..." he stammered out in response.

"She told me herself." Frieza spat "She told me how you murdered her on Arcos' moon, beat the life out of her. Because you feared her influence on Cooler and I."

A flash of anger crossed Cold's face, and he quickly dropped into a fighting stance "She was going to make you two weak! The galaxy would have torn you apart if I hadn't moulded you two into being so strong."

"It's because of your teachings that I wound up getting maimed on Namek! It's because of your teachings that Cooler was reduced to a head floating through space!" Frieza yelled at the top of his lungs. He managed to compose himself "Transform. I want you at your strongest when I make you experience what you put mother through. The sense of futility, fear and weakness. You'll die a coward, father."

Cold's purple aura exploded around his body, veins throbbing in his elongated head from rage and indignation "You little shit! I'll put you in your place!" His body glowed white as it warped and changed in its proportions. While the power of his transformation would have once been formidable, Frieza had long since surpassed him.

When fully transformed, Cold was over 7 feet of ivory muscle, with dark green bio-gems on his head, chest and limbs. He dashed forth like a white blur, smashing his fists and feet at Frieza. The Arcosian wasn't budged by any strike, he didn't even make any move to guard his form.

Frieza couldn't help but smirk as the useless attacks bounced harmlessly off his form. And to think, he had at one point been so afraid of his father's power.

One of Frieza's arms shot up and intercepted an incoming punch. The fist struck his upraised forearm, every bone in Cold's fist shattering on impact. "GAH! You...You little..." Cold grunted, hopping back and clutching the wrist of his broken hand.

Frieza's leg whipped out, striking his father in the chin and sending him smashing face first through several buildings. In a flash Frieza intercepted his father in the air and then kicked him straight into the asphalt.

Frieza landed slowly and then strolled toward the hunched, wheezing figure of his father. His foot swung up, smashed Cold in the ribs and then left him sprawled flat on his back on the ground "Judging by that cracking sound, I'd say you just lost...three ribs there."

"You little bastard...I gave you the galaxy..." Cold said, hocking up some blood n the shattered street. A bolt of red light formed in his hand, and he quickly shoved a hand out to blast Frieza. The younger Arcosian caught the wave in his hands, and then swung the blast straight up into the sky with only a few scorches marking his palms.

"Pathetic...and it was because of your teachings that the empire crumbled. Because I followed your example of tyranny." Frieza spat. He leapt up and then drove his foot straight down, spearing into Cold's stomach.

The former monarch gagged in an indescribable pain, and then exploded into a plume of dark smoke. "You're no father of mine." Frieza growled.

Goku slowly landed behind Frieza, ready to say something, but the Arcosian waved a hand up before he could pass a single syllable "I'm fine, Goku. I feel...very good right now, that I have some closure after avenging my mother." he remarked.

"That's great to hear Frieza. Still, we need to know what's bringing all the villains back to life." Goku remarked, rubbing his chin.

It was at that moment that a voice entered into Goku's head, a familiar voice sounding more frantic that it ever had before _"Goku can you hear me?! It's King Kai, we have a major situation here in the afterlife!"_

"I figured as much." Goku remarked, glancing about "What's going on over there King Kai?"

_"It's...I-I dunno how to describe it. Some sort of monster just appeared in Hell, and it's just manipulating reality! You guys need to get here as quickly as possible!"_

Goku looked to Frieza and gave a determined nod. "Come on, let's get Vegeta. And if magic is involved, we better get Piccolo's help too. Let's get going."

* * *

Next chapter: The group comes face to face with Fat Janemba. All is not as it seems however, as an unexpected force has plans for Janemba.

**- jcogginsa: quick question: Can you give the status of the movie villains that haven't appeared yet? **

Garlic, Wheelo, Turles and Slug don't exist in this continuity. I'm still unsure whether or not to do the Hirudegarn movie. And Bills is likely to appear, but I want to see BoG in full before writing anything.

**-Impstar: Cool cool. Are any of the GP arcs (like Android 17, Baby, the Dark Dragons) going to show up? **

Eh, maybe, maybe not. I might try to do something with this AU when we get to the end of Z.

**-ShinigamiMaster: If I might make a suggestion to a new arc, how about some version of Dragon Ball Multiverse. It's a pretty awesome webcomic. **

I've read it, and while the concept is interesting and the artwork is nice, the execution of the plot is pretty poor. In addition there already is a DBM-styled fic being worked on by other AU writers.


	47. Warped

The four materialised over what was once Snake Way, now little more than a long warped chain of jelly beans. King Kai was there to greet them with Gregory the cricket floating behind his shoulder and Bubbles the monkey tucked under one arm. "Thank goodness you're all finally here...The otherworld is in really bad shape right now."

"No kidding..." Piccolo remarked dryly, his eyes roaming over the multicoloured gems floating through the air. "I had to deal with the entire Ginyu force this afternoon. What the hell is going on?" the Namekian asked, throwing off his weighted cape and turban.

Vegeta seemed to be in just as much shock, floating past Frieza and Goku who were also taking in the alien landscape "What...what could possibly do something like this? And why?"

"I tried asking King Yemma as much. Apparently one of the Ogres working the soul cleaner machine got doused in thousands of years worth of pure evil energy, and it mutated him into a reality warping monster. He's on top of the Check-in Station...or, what used to be it at least." King Kai explained "You four better get on over there to investigate it."

"And if we handle this problem, the dead will return here?" Frieza asked, crossing his arms.

"The check-in station maintains the barrier between the worlds as lon as it's open. Once it's back to normal, the dead will all return where they belong." King Kai confirmed.

Goku had a broad grin on his face "Man, can you guys feel that energy? Fighting this thing is gonna be awesome!" he exclaimed.

Frieza rolled his eyes. The four flared their auras to life, and then they were roceting through the air toward the grand power in the distance. "What could a creature made of pure evil energy look like?" Frieza mused aloud "Probably some sort of...generic, red-skinned devil with massive impractical horns or something..."

The reality was...different to say the least.

The check-in station had been encased in a massive yellow jelly bean, and atop that sat a giant figure. He was tall and flabby, with jaundice yellow skin, a long lizard tail and pointed elven ears. He had purple covering on his legs and forearms, and odd holes on his rotund stomach. He was filled with a child-like glee, giggling and clapping his hands at...nothing, by the look of it.

"That's the pure evil monster that's causing so much trouble?" Vegeta asked in shock, his face switching between confusion and uncontained frustration.

"Don't let his appearance fool you." Piccolo replied, his tone grim "He might not look it, but there's some malicious energy lurking inside of him."

Goku seemed to ignore the warnings of his two friends, instead flying straight over to the blubbery creature. "Hey there big guy!" Goku greeted cheerily "Do you have a name?" he asked, smiling politely at the demon.

"Janemba!" the flabby creature babbled out, his large frame bouncing about wildly. Vegeta was clearly infuriated to see a creature this stupid was as powerful as any of them.

Suddenly he, Frieza and Piccolo glanced toward the gem-like surface encasing the check-in station, a reflection forming on it of King Yemma. "Hey, you four! Can you hear me?" he called out.

"Ah...Yes, King Yemma." Frieza replied awkwardly, scratching his head at the odd sight. Today was just plain weird. "What...What did you have in mind?" he asked.

"What did I- I want you idiots to break this barrier on the check-in station!" the gigantic red ogre snapped. "Two of you can distract that ugly monster, and then the other two can get to work breaking this barrier. As soon as it's open again we can get to work undoing all the damage that creature has done."

Goku grinned and then quickly shot a hand into the air "Oh! Oh! I call dibs on fighting him!" he exclaimed giddily, eager to test his increased power against such a strong foe.

Frieza shrugged his shoulders "I'll keep watch on him. In case you wind up pissing that thing off, you'll need help fighting it..."

Vegeta and Piccolo seemed indignant, fuming at the other two of the group "What?! Why should you be the ones who get to have the action?!" Vegeta snapped, an enraged vein popping up on his forehead.

"We're stronger. That's why." Frieza replied dryly.

"I'll make you eat those words one day..." Vegeta spat bitterly.

The lumbering rotund creature that called itself Janemba seemed fixed on Goku and Goku alone, as the pure-hearted Saiyan clapped his hands and fell through the thick layer of floating jelly beans in the sky. Janemba gave a gleeful chuckle and stood up fully, before leaing after Goku and getting tangled up in giant beans along the way. Frieza lazily rolled his eyes and then followed after the two "Great. I have to take care of two overgrown children..."

Vegeta made an annoyed "tch" sound and transformed into his first Super Saiyan form. "Let's get this done quickly." he raised one arm up, a pale blue orb of light forming in his outstretched palm and rapidly growing in size. Once fully charged, Vegeta launched the Big Bang Attack at the gem-like surface. The ensuing explosion sent shockwaves rippling through the air, and the whole bean-structure started to rumble. However, when the light faded and the smoke cleared, not one scratch had been formed on the shell encasing the station.

Vegeta was livid. "WHAT?! How could my attack have no effect on a stupid, ugly, piece of shit barrier like this?!" he roared. A split second later, a long web of cracks formed along one side of the barrier.

Piccolo made a humming noise and floated closer, deciding to test a theory. "Hm. Stupid barrier." a tiny chip of gem broke off directly in front of Piccolo. "Insults. It's damaged by insults." Piccolo said with a groan "This day is terrible..."

* * *

"Whoa!" Yamcha exclaimed, his eyes running over the large trail of destruction that led through the Diablo desert and into the outskirts of Carrot Town. On the horizon he and Inyon could spot flashy green explosions lighting up the sky that grew in intensity the closer they flew to the source. "Who could be doing this?"

As if on queue, a massive hulking figure flew straight into the sky from the centre of one newly formed crater. He was cackling wildly, his aura a sickly green bubble of light that occasionally flashed black whenever he powered up.

"Oh, that's just Broly." Inyon remarked dryly. "He's a mutant freak Saiyan...A legendary one, is the 'politically correct' way to say. Me, Frieza and Slak fought him in space. He was a big deal back then, but he hasn't gotten any stronger, and I sure as hell have."

A sad smile crossed Inyon's face as she thought back on the Namekian Shaman who gave his life and power to Piccolo in the hopes that it would be enough to defeat Cell once and for all. "Here's to you Big Green." Inyon remarked, punching her fist into her open palm.

She let out a loud whistle, and Broly promptly spun around to face the source of the noise. His solid white eyes seemed quick to recognise Inyon, and he gave an enraged shout "You! I'll crush you!" he snarled, dashing at the two Z-warriors as fast as he could. "And then I'll make sure to smash that lizard, and that stupid slug who burnt me!"

Inyon gave a wicked grin and pulled her fist back "Legendary Super Saiyan...meet Super Saiyan 2!" her fist crashed into her palm again, and a crack of thunder rang out as Inyon transformed. A boom of power smashed into Broly and sent him hurtling over Carrot Town, unable to stop his own momentum just yet.

Inyon shot forth like a rocket, fast enough to intercept Broly while he was flailing backward through the sky. She clenched her fist, channelled her ki into it, and then her fist connected with Broly's jaw with such explosive force that he was sent hurtling straight into the sky at a ninety degree angle.

This time Broly stopped himself and a pulse of ki exploded out off his body. "RRGH! Stupid...Bitch!" the Legendary Super Saiyan roared, two green bubbles of ki forming in his palms. He flung each down at the rapidly approaching Inyon, but with her vastly superior speed she managed to blow the first energy blast from the sky with a flourish of her hand, and then with a quick kick she launched the second energy blast right back at Broly.

One of Broly's hulking forearms moved up to block, the explosion sending his whole body lurching back through the air. His gold bracer cracked from the force. "What is going on here?!" the Super Saiyan roared. He had been bested in the past by a fluke, but now...now he was simply outclassed, for the first time in his whole life.

Inyon closed the distance, and Broly started launching wide sweeping puches with all the speed he could muster. While he was rather large for his frame, all he could hit were afterimages of the lightning-fast SSJ2. Inyon swooped and swerved, ducked and dodged, avoided every single punch and kick launched her way.

"Hehe...Not so legendary now, are ya?" Inyon asked mockingly. Broly roared at the top of his lungs and threw the fastest punch he could muster, only for Inyon's palm to stop his arm mid-swing. "No, no you most certainly are not."

She shoved Broly's arm up and then drove her other fist forward. The punch caught Broly square in the jaw, and time seemed to just slow down on impact. Inyon felt the steady spray of spit and blood coat her knuckles. She heard the slow crunching noises as several of Broly's teeth shattered inside his mouth...Was there ever a sweeter sound than bones breaking or teeth cracking?

The impact was explosive, thunderous. Broly's body ragdolled back several dozen metres through the air, the Legendary Super Saiyan unable to so much as think right now. Inyon grinned, watching as Yamcha dashed straight up into the air to intercept Broly.

A crimson bubble of energy circled around Yamcha as he powered up to his limit. Suddenly the orb collapsed and condensed until his fist was aglow with red light. He raised his fist high, gave a wolf-like howl, and then smashed a punch straight down, aimed at Broly's chest. The energy erupted from Yamcha's fist in a blinding flash of red light, the explosion releasing a deafening sonic boom and launching Broly into the sand with such a force that it kicked up a massive mushroom cloud of sand and smoke.

"Time for a...'legendary' defeat...Hehe..." Inyon giggled, pushing both of her palms forward. From his own position in the sky, Yamcha rolled hs eyes and entered a Kamehameha stance.

Energy built in both of their hands, growing to immense levels of destructive power. Inyon would have charged her blast a little further, but she did notice Broly stirring in the heart of the crater. She launched a swirling wave of red and gold light from her palms, while Yamcha fired off his own Super Kamehameha.

The two blasts clashed and expanded outward, forming a glorious dome of white hot light that seemed to vaporise Broly utterly. However, as it was simply impossible to die due to Janemba's tampering with the laws of reality and the afterlife, Broly would simply reform in Otherworld. A shame for the heroes who worked so hard against him.

"Well, I just love Super Saiyan 2..." she remarked with a chuckle. She reached into a pouch on her belt, a hard case she asked Midgyo to design to keep valuables safe, and then pulled something out. Her gold engagement ring "Mm...Not as much as I love this ring though. Shame I can't wear it in a fight, it'd leave a nice dent in someone's skull..." she remarked.

"You are nuts..." Yamcha replied, fixing up his shaggy black ponytail "And that's why I lova ya." he added with a chuckle, dashing over to the ebony Saiyaness "Okay, let's keep going. Something weird is going on here, and I wanna know why...and we gotta make sure these villains don't do more damage."

* * *

Frieza had taken a seat on one of the giant floating gems in the sky, his garnet eyes focusing on Goku trying to play with the Janemba creature. Sure enough, while the flabby yellow creature seemed humorous at first he had a dangerous degree of power.

First he had used his reality warping abilities to form an army of miniature versions of himself from the reflective surface of hell. They had been quick to dogpile and overwhelm Goku, and for a brief moment Frieza wondered if he should intervene. However once Goku powered up he was quick to knock the creatures away with a hurricane kick. Thankfully they all shattered to nothing on impact with the ground.

Then he started to control gravity itself, sending the giant jelly beans in Goku's direction and trapping him within a mound of them. Janemba smashed clean through the pile and sent Goku hurtling clean through the air, and whenever the Saiyan got too close the Demon smashed him away with blinding speed.

Janemba's intelligence seemed greater than Frieza anticipated, going by what the yellow creature did next. Whenever he threw a punch he formed a portal wherever he threw his fist, and then he opened an exit portal wherever Goku was being flung to, to smash him through the air. Eventually, the Saiyan caught one downward punch and then threw a golden energy ball through the portal, smashing it into Janemba's back and sending him stumbling backward giggling all the while.

Once the creature landed flat on its ass, Goku seemed intent to end this now that he knew what a threat the fat demon was. He charged a vibrant blue Kamehameha wave in his hands and then blasted it straight at Janemba. Suddenly a...duplicate of Goku formed in Janemba's hand and fired off a Kamehameha wave of equal force, the two blasts clashing and unleashing a powerful sky blue explosion.

When the smoke cleared, Janemba was giggling and Goku looked a little frazzled after the bizarre explosion. "Was that...me that shot me...?" He quickly glanced up to Frieza "Feel free to jump in at any time!" he called out.

Frieza shrugged "No no, he's clearly only interested in you. Wouldn't want to spoil your fun."

"Fine. But you're gonna miss out, because I plan on ending this." Goku replied. He floated up, his body flashed gold as he entered the first Super Saiyan state. He seemed stoic and determined...up until the four holes on Janemba's gut started to glow golden and he fired off a flurry of energy blasts at the Saiyan. Shocked at first Goku started to fly as fast as he could, narrowly avoiding the tidal wave of explosions nipping at his heels.

Janemba spun, trying to keep aim on the Super Saiyan. However the giant beast lost his footing while still shooting, and wound up landing suare on his gut and enveloping himself in a massive explosion.

Goku frowned when the smoke cleared. That was some major destructive power, and it was in the hands of such a mindless creature. In addition, he hadn't even be harmed by his own explosion. This creature needed to be put down, and quick.

With a loud yell, Goku started to power up to his maximum. The reflective surface of hell seemed to rumble and shudder from the awe-inspiring power, the sky itself was shifting its colouration from Goku's shift in ki. His aura was a massive pillar of light stretching up into the sky of the afterlife.

Frieza tensed, even at 100% of his fourth forms power the force being output by Goku's aura threatened to blow him off his perch. His whole body glowed white, and then with a quick flash he ascended to his fifth form, now strong enough to withstand the maelstrom of Goku's Super Saiyan 3 power. "You fool, don't overdo it..." Frieza growled.

Janemba watched in a childlike awe, even looking a little afraid for a moment. Colour inverted around hell briefly, the giant jelly beans in the sky shifted and moved about. Even as far away as Grand Kai's planet, tremors of power could be felt from Goku's transformation.

Finally, Goku's whole body lit up like the setting sun on the horizon, beautiful and blinding to watch. When the supernova of light subsided, Goku stood proudly in his Super Saiyan 3 form, lightning arcing about his whole body.

"You should be proud of yourself Janemba. Only Hatchiyack has ever pushed me this far in battle before." Goku remarked. A crack of lightning darkened the sky for a fraction of a second, before dying down.

Janemba cocked his head to one side like a curious dog. He gave a babbling laugh, and then slowly clapped his hands at the sight. It was like jingling keys in front of a childs face to please him.

"You act innocent, but you're deadly..." Goku said grimly. His golden aura flashed up again, and then he shot like a rocket at the flabby giant "It's over Janemba!"

* * *

A figure watched events transpiring through a crystal ball in his hands, his body concealed behind the trees of iron that grew from the ground of hell. "That demons power is magnificent...It's a shame his mind is so lacking. He acts like a big child."

The cloaked figure ran a wrinkled yellow hand down the surface of the crystal ball "Then again, I might be able to use that to my advantage. A mindless thrall is of more use to me than one who can think properly, so much easier to control with the Majin seal."

His face twisted into an unnatural grin, those wrinkles on his face making his elongated egg-shaped head looking profoundly uglier whenever he smiled. "And I do need a replacement minion now that Majin Buu is gone from my possession. I just have to wait for this long-haired idiot to waste his energy before I make a move. Majin Janemba, that has a very nice ring to it. He'll make a perfect minion for me, Babidi."

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, Super Saiyan 3 Goku clashes with Janemba while Frieza looks on. Piccolo and Vegeta maintain their efforts to break the barrier around the check-in station. Zangya and Glace encounter Bojack and take him on. How much worse can the situation in hell grow from here?

**-Super Vegetarott: I'm obviously looking forward to the differences in the whole Janemba arc, though I have to admit I feel you could've done a little more on Earth with Frieza and showing average life with Glace and whatnot. That might be something to think about, because the mere prospect of Frieza living on Earth is quite humorous when you think about him raising a child.**

I had considered doing a little more of the normal faily stuff. Then again I figured there would be people who feel the opposite and wouldn't want to see much of the non-action stuff, so I'm trying to keep sort of a balance.

**- The Imaginatrix: I liked how you were kind enough to redeem Cooler as well. I always thought he was awesome. xD...I have a question, though. In this saga, how will Goku and friends defeat Janemba without the Fusion technique? Just curious, that's all. You probably won't tell me, and I'll have to wait and find out, but I thought I'd ask anyway.**

Ha, thanks. When it came to Cooler I think I owed him some redemption because of all the crap he went through. As for Janemba, I can't tell you exactly what's going to happen (Needless to say it will have a massively different ending to the original movie.) but I think you'll find the coming twists to be very impressive.

**-Pointer: Frieza finished Cold off before leaving right?..**

Kinda. Frieza did to him what Gohan did to Frieza in the original movie. But, death is currently non-existent, so he'll just rematerialise in otherworld.

**-Kyuubi16: I'm curious about your last comment. By what do you mean the execution of DBM's plot is poor? I'm not disagreeing, I just want to know your specific thoughts on it. I'm always curious when people make points, but it saddens me when they don't go into more details about flaws because I like people's deconstructions and breakdowns.**

Okay *Cracks neck* this is gonna take some time I suppose. The biggest flaw with DBM is that the author simply doesn't take advantage of the multiverse premise. Some of the universe ideas are painfully generic, like a universe where Cell won and a universe where Bojack one. Some universes have absolutely no purpose in the tournament. It's obvious the universe of primative Saiyans will get curb stomped, it's obvious the Androids are all outclassed. Why not use those universe spaces for ideas that aren't shit? Some ideas are interesting (The superhumans universe, Gast Carcolh's universe) but those get almost no focus.

On that note, Salagir is incredibly guilty of playing favourites with the universes. The story practically orbits U16, and I can almost imagine the author beating off to a picture of Vegito. Vegito himself is a massive Gary-Stu (Despite some people having the baffling notion in their head that he's 'cool') and so overpowered that it renders the entire premise of the tournament pointless. Oh yeah, and Bra from U16 is basically the author's Jerk Sue waifu who is equally overpowered and has an undeserved superiority complex. And the massive incest subtext between her and Vegito is just really creepy.

Oh yes, and Broly is also his little pet character. And is so ridiculously wanked beyond his canon power that it's honestly hilarious.

And the specials, good god the specials. I think that out of all of them, only 2 have provided useful information on the universes. The others are all just gore-fests of the heroes from canon getting brutally murdered, and they contain information that anyone with two brain cells could have figured out. It was obvious Cell killed the Z-fighters in his universe, it was obvious Kakarot killed all the humans in his. We didn't need entire chapters wasted to explain that, what we needed was new information, like what did Cell do when Buu landed in his universe? How did Kakarot and Prince Vegeta become Super Saiyans? That's the kind of shit we need to know. The comic's pacing is awful enough already, the last thing you need are 2 month long breaks in the action for the sake of pointless exposition.

And that's all I got for now.

**-Rafael: BUT why in hell all these villians are appearing only on Earth? **

Hell if I know. I'm just going by the movies logic.


	48. True Threat

Janemba's hand swung down and smashed his palm into the earth, but with his immensely enhanced physical attributes it was trivial for Goku to dodge. The SSJ3 swung under Janemba and struck him in the flabby stomach with enough force to lift his giant feet off the ground.

The second that punch hit, that change in Janemba's expression meant he was fully aware that this was no longer a game. Goku's fists moved at a rapid pace, striking Janemba's gut over and over again and holding him aloft in the air, a thunderous shockave exploding from each blow. They were rising higher and higher into the air.

Part of Frieza smelt a pang of pity for the poor stupid creature. That look of desperation and confusion on his face...honestly, it was like beating up a child. Still, he wasn't as innocent as he appeared.

Janemba was clearly terrified, fearing for his life for the first time in his brief existence. He seized control of all the giant jelly beans in the air and then forced them down to the ground, burying both himself and Goku within the mound of gems.

Goku weaved around, smashing away any bean that got too cloe to him using his vastly superhuman strength. His fist shot up like a bullet and struck Janemba's cheek. The yellow giant was flung straight upward, but Goku quickly dashed up to intercept him.

The lighting of his golden aura flashed up, and then one of Goku's fist glowed with gathered energy. He smashed Janemba straight down with his explosive punch and the impact sent the giant jelly beans scattering back into the air. While Janemba was still struggling to gather his limited wits, Goku quickly thought up a plan to end this.

Goku yelled at the top of his lungs, his golden aura exploding outward. He channelled golden ki into his fists, and then he dashed downward like a golden arc of light. His fist struck Janemba's head so violently that his whole body seemed to ripple, until the force behind the blow forced Janemba's head directly into his own body.

Goku flipped back and landed, a confident smirk on his face. He had won, he was sure of it. Frieza drifted through the air, his gaze focused on Janemba's flailing form.

The creature sobbed and wailed like an injured child, a noise that honestly made the creature pitiable. His overgrown body was thrashing about in a futile manner, as if he hoped to pull his own head out from the depths of his body. Then, he suddenly stopped moving, and became eerily silent.

His body rippled and shifted seeming to contract and collapse inward. His colouration shifted from yellow to a dark shade of red. Goku and Frieza both watched in awe as Janemba's whole body warped in its proportions, forming into a more humanoid shape. Then, the transformation ended.

Janemba had altered his body to an incredible degree, totally unrecognisable compared to his last form. He was average in height, a red-skinned demon covered in scaly purple armour on his chest, legs, wrists and the top of his head. Two sloping horns grew out from the odd purple armour on his skull. He had an awful fanged grin on is face, and his eyes were a piercing yellow colour with odd cat-like slits for pupils.

He didn't look funny anymore.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Goku remarked, dropping into his fighting stance again. The demon's ki had noticeably grown, and as it stood he was a fair bit stronger than a Super Saiyan 3.

"You're not taking this one on alone." Frieza remarked, his own power rising. The otherworld rumbled and Frieza's whole body seemed to glow. Then he let out an ear-splitting yell as he transformed into a Super Arcosian 2, his silver skin reflecting the shifting light of his aura.

Janemba smiled wickedly and stood still as a statue. He was sizing up his opponents, confident in his superior strength, he wanted them to make the first move. And when they did, he'd be sure to show them just how fucked they were against him.

Finally, united, the two shot forth at the same time and prepared to strike at Janemba with all their might.

* * *

Bojack stood back to watch, amazed as Tien beat the tar out of Bido in the distance. That three-eyed human, the one who he had beaten previously, had grown so much stronger since he was last among the living. He might even have posed a threat to Bojack himself right now!

He had seen another human, a short one with a shaggy bowlcut of black hair, beat down Bujin and then slice him in half with a yellow ki disc. And the woman with him, a beautiful blonde, had beaten Bido to a pulp and sent him back to Hell. Now, Bojack was all alon and hiding in the shadowy alleyways "Ugh...I need to get offworld, before they find me..."

"It's not them you need to worry about." a familiar, cold female voice called from above. The space pirate spun around and his eyes widened at the sight.

Zangya hovered above him with her arms crossed over her chest and a small girl holding onto her leg. Zangya moved her hands back to tie the long braid of her orange hair, while Bojack got a better look at the small girl who was almost a younger version of Zangya herself, save for the stranger features. Namely the paler skin and the two lines that ran down from her eyes.

"So...So good to see you again..." Bojack said awkwardly. He could tell Zangya had also grown stronger, to an almost worrying degree. How long had he been in hell. "Who's the girl?"

The female Heran gave an odd sort of smile that Bojack had never seen before, a friendly smile when she picked Glace up and let her sit on her arm "This is my daughter. The daughter I never would have had if you succeeded in killing me."

Bojack felt his blood chill. So she remembered that huh? His expression twisted with anger, and he cautiously entered into a savage fighting stance "Don't take it personally...I needed to catch them off-guard with my attack, and that was the best option I had."

"Oh, of course." Zangya replied sarcastically. She let her daughter float through the air again, and she watched Bojack with a curious gaze. "You do of course realise that, I'm still rather sore over what happened." the female Heran loudly cracked her knuckles and then her fiery aura exploded outward around her body. "And...I believe I need to gie you my letter of resignation." she added.

In a flash she crossed the distance and drove her knee into Bojack's face with enough force to send him skidding back through the alley. She flipped over him and buried her palms into his temple, making the towering Heran yell in pain.

His massive arm swung back and his knuckle managed to catch Zangya in the face. She flew back and struck a wall, the stone cracking heavily by the impact. Thankfully, she managed to stop herself before she was blown clean through the building. Her soles pressed into the cracked wall behind her, and then with inhuman speed she leapt from wall to wall until she flipped up onto a rooftop.

With one powerful push of his mighty legs Bojack followed up into the air, until he was floating several metres in the sky above Zangya. The female Heran seemed quicker on the draw however, quickly fling her arm out and firing off a barrage of green energy balls that all converged on Bojack and enveloped him in a powerful explosion.

The power sent Bojack hurtling upward, and Zangya took off after him. Zangya swung a kick up, but her blow went wide when Bojack swerved around him. He released a flurry of punches from his powerful fists, the strikes making her stumble backward through the air. He drove his heel into her jaw and Zangya was sent spiralling about three metres away from him.

They clashed at the same time, their fists impacting against each others and sending out a powerful shockwave that shattered the windows below. "Hm...Not bad." the orange-haired woman remarked "But...I do believe you used to be stronger than this." she mocked.

Zangya proved to be the faster of the two, weaving in and then smashing her knuckles into Bojack's abs. Her fist was like a jackhammer, forming a bulge in his back and making his eyes pop out slightly. A choked, gasping noise escaped his lips.

Bojack made a grab for her, but she was quick to shoot up and avoid his reach. She swung her foot down like a guillotine and struck Bojack in the nose with such force that he was sent crashing onto his back on the roof. The towering Heran sat up awkardly, visibly in pain "Damnit...if she's this strong right now, I don't even want to imagine how powerful her full power form is..."

An idea suddenly popped into Bojack's head. A wicked, awful and utterly deplorable idea that only a vile being would think up. His gaze drifted through the sky, and then settled on Glace floating above and watching events unfold. A hostage, a human shield, a perfect defence against a mother.

He shot up at a blinding speed, a grin on his face. He watched as Glace's eyes widened, no way this girl could pose a challenge to him. There was a sudden explosive eruption of ki from her body, knocking the towering greenskin back through the air. He managed to correct himself, and then he felt a distinct shiver run down his spine. Zangya watched, and smirked.

Glace rapidly powered up, soon reaching her full power form. Her green skin seemed to glow, radiating her energy outward, and her eyes took on the same garnet shade of a fifth form Arcosian. Glace clenched her teeth, and then she surged toward Bojack like a missile.

The headbutt that struck Bojack was like a sledgehammer. Glace had one hard head to say the least, and she struck almost as hard as her mother. Blood and spittle (In addition to a tooth fragment or two) flew out of Bojack's mouth as his whole body was snapped backward and driven into the asphalt down below. The ground rumbled and shattered from the impact and nearby cars were flipped away from the impact zone.

Finally, he managed to get back up "Ugh...What is up with that freak girl's power level...?" Bojack hissed, rubbing a throbbing dark lump forming on his forehead. The ground around him suddenly started to glow with a steadily increasing brightness "W-what the..."

He looked up at the last second and gave a loud yell as Zangya's red energy sphere crashed into him. An explosion spread across the street and tore Bojack apart, reducing him to a cloud of mist that would reappear in Otherworld in a few minutes time. "You know, I wish I blasted you in the back. Would have been great irony...oh well." Zangya remarked lazily.

She paused and turned her head to watch Glace, the young half-Arcosian quickly powering down. Her fingers combed through Glace's hair, and then she hugged her daughter "I'm very proud of you."

"My forehead hurts..." Glace whined.

* * *

Goku's boot clipped Janemba in the temple, the force of the blow making the demon stumble backward slightly. His other leg snapped forward and collided against Janemba's gut with enough force to making the demon grimace. Soon Frieza was upon them too, burying both his fists into Janemba's back.

The evil entity suddenly swerved to avoid another blow from Goku and shot both of his arms out, striking the to super warriors in the gut. He twirled and delivered a firm roundhouse kick that sent both of them hurtling up into the sky. Janemba flew up, wreathed in a purple aura, and struck Goku in the stomach with a powerful kiai that launched him down through the air and crashing into a spiked tree made of iron.

Goku was dazed, winded from the shocking power the evil entity was exuding. Janemna grinned wickedly and then clenched his fists, the metal branches constricting around the Super Saiyan and leaving him restrained. His arm raised up, charging up an energy wave that would put an end to his tormentor.

Frieza materialised in front of Janemba, taking the demon by surprise. His knee shot forth and crushed against the bridge of the demon's nose, making him hiss in pain and clutch his nose with one hand. An opening, a chance to strike.

Pressing his advantage, the Arcosian managed to land several high-power punches to Janemba's gut, forming dark purple bruises along his red gut. A mound of fire flew from his shoulder to his fist, and then Frieza landed an explosive punch to Janemba's cheek that sent him hurtling backward through the sky. Even from the distance, Frieza could see a nice burn had formed on Janemba's cheek.

Frieza's silver skin gleamed with power. He quickly gathered his ki and raised a finger up, firing a powerful Death Beam at the evil entity. Suddenly Janemba's whole body seemed to break apart like a bunch of Lego bricks, the pieces rapidly travelling toward the Arcosian. He reformed in front of Frieza, his arm outstretched and a red ki ball in his hand.

The wave of red light exploded from Janemba's palm and struck Frieza in the belly, releasing enough force to carry him to the ground. Frieza smashed into the reflective surface of the ground, shattering it on impact before the explosion of Janemba's attack consumed him.

A thick column of smoke billowed upward into the air from the deep crater, and the glow from the explosion slowly faded away. Frieza forced himself to his feet, grunting from a soreness in his muscles. He had several new scratches and burns that lined his silver skin, the result of that powerful blast "That is..one hell of a power..."

The demonic entity landed on the reflective ground, a wild cackle leaving his lips. This change had turned him from a simpleton, to a sadistic monster. Something caught his eye then, an ogre's club left discarded on the ground. With a flick of his finger the club flew into his hand, and then Janemba started to alter its very molecules to transform the spiked club into a red, ruby-like monomolecular sword.

He was about to make the first swing at Frieza, when he heard a yelling not too far away.

Goku had been struggling in the bonds of the iron tree, unable to get much leverage with how his arms were restrained. Finally, an idea of escape came to him. The Super Saiyan 3 gathered up his ki, before giving a loud yell and expanding his golden light out in an explosive wave. Chunks of iron were sent soaring through the air, crashing across the deformed landscape of hell.

Panting, he landed on his feet and then glared at Janemba. The fatigue of this form would hit Goku any minute now...how the hell were they to beat Janemba now?

* * *

Vegeta and Piccolo had been hard at work, yelling whatever insults they could think up at the barrier around the check-in station. The language was colourful, the insults creative and...rather bizarre at some points. Piccolo and Vegeta even took to using ancient Saiyan and Namekian curse words (Which actually damaged the barrier, surprisingly enough.)

By now there were two deep dents on either side of the crystaline structure. If they kept at it, they would break through it in another few minutes. However both looked quite exhausted flinging curses, huffing for breath and rubbing at their soar throats. "Ugh...I should be used to yelling by now.." Vegeta huffed.

Piccolo nodded in response and then looked down toward Hell. A bright flash of golden light caught his eye, and when he searched for the energy signatures below he became alarmed at the power Janemba was giving off. "We need to get down there, now."

"Hey wha-! You idiots can't leave me here! Not when you're so close to breaking the barrier!" King Yemma yelled, furious veins throbbing on his forehead.

"Shut up." Vegeta replied with a low growl. He transformed with an explosive blast of golden light, ascending into his Super Saiyan 2 form. The Saiyan prince nodded to Piccolo, and then the two warriors shot down into the underworld. Super Namek and Super Saiyan flew side by side straight downward, and they caught sight of Janemba grinning at the distant, damaged forms of Goku and Frieza.

Vegeta smirked at the sight "Tch, so much for Kakarot's newest form. Looks like I'll have to step in." he remarked, swooping straight at the demon. Piccolo followed suit, and Janemba slowly cocked his head up when he heard them coming.

They came at him from both sides, launching a flurry of punches and kicks at the vile manifestation. They struck as fast as they could, both of them incredibly quick. Yet they simply could not tag Janemba, who weaved and shifted around every single strike. At times he almost seemed like liquid, bending and warping his entire body just to avoid a strike.

One crimson fist clocked Vegeta in the chin and sent him sprawling flat on his back, the ground shattering directly below him. His tail cracked like a whip and struck Piccolo in the face, a spray of purple blood flying from the Namekian shaman's lips as he was flung into one of the downed giant jelly beans. His body left a deep dent in the bean, leaving his body stuck for a few seconds before he managed to pry himself out.

"Damnit...We'll have to jump in there and help them." Goku remarked, helping Frieza stand up fully. "But I don't think I can maintain this form much longer. Do you have any plans...?" he asked.

Frieza paused in thought. He watched Vegeta and Piccolo leap to their feet, pondering how much time they could buy against Janemba, and then he gauged Goku's remaining energy. A plan was slowly forming in his head.

Janemba meanwhile took aim at Piccolo. He swung his sword arm back and then did a slice through the air. The arc of power that flew from the blade travelled through the air and headed straight for the Namek. Piccolo's eyes widened and he swerved backward, but he still got a slice across the belly from the arc of ki, drawing some purple blood that seeped down his stomach.

"Hey, Namek!" Vegeta called out, his golden aura exploding around his body "Think this freak has the same weakness as the stuff he makes?" Vegeta asked, smirking. He shot at Janemba, a trail of golden light following behind him. He cocked one fist back and then yelled at the top of his lungs "Ugly bastard!"

Janemba's eyes widened and a spiderweb of cracks broke across his cheek when the insult hit his ears. In his shock, he was unable to block the punch from Vegeta that knocked him clean off his feet and sent him soaring into the air.

Piccolo shot straight into the air like a blazing green comet, a crackling orb of Porunga's dragonfire resting in his hands. Just as he intercepted Janemba's soaring frame he yelled out "Disgusting freak!" A web of cracks broke along Janemba's chest, small shards breaking off his body and going through the air. While he was stunned, Piccolo threw the fire ball out and let the explosion engulf the evil entity.

His flaming body swooped down trough the air with a trail of smoke behind it. And then finally Janemba crashed into a tree of iron and bounced off it before he landed on his knees.

He looked livid, utterly enraged. He bared his fangs and then got to his feet, the cracks on his body slowly mending. An aura of rippling purple light rose off his body, shattering the ground. "I...Will...Make you dead!" Janemba grunted out, the ground rumbling violently, taking aim with his sword.

"Now he's getting serious..." Frieza remarked, frowning beneath his face mask. He tossed a quick glance toward Goku "We don't have much time so listen up. This is my plan..."

* * *

"Dear oh dear..." Babidi tutted, running his tongue over his yellowing teeth. "He seems to have a strange weakness, I'll have to be sure to remove that..." He slowly fingered his crystal ball, watching the battle unfold between Janemba and the Z-fighters.

"I'll just let those fools waste a little more of their energy. This controlling spell will let this dimwitted monster unlock his true potential..."

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, Goku and Frieza use a last ditch tactic against Janemba. In addition, Babidi springs his spell. Who will be the the one to come out on top?

Oh, ah, yes. I feel a need to point this out: WE JUST PASSED 600 REVIEWS BABY! WOO!

**-Kyuubi16: Though I didn't notice any incest subtext**

The way he constantly showers her with attention and praise, has made her his personal apprentice, always travels everywhere with her, blatantly plays favourites with her among the other children Goku and Vegeta have had...there's something going on there.

**-Guest: Ummmm...Majin Janemba?His energy 'n' Stuff'd cause Majin Buu to awaken,wouldn't it?I thought you didliked the Buu Saga...Oh,well...**

Buu's cocoon is drifting through space right now, so Babidi can't drain energy and transfer it to the cocoon.

**-Keneolazer: Ay' yo! Nice story! By the way, are you gonna do the GT as well?**

Thanks. Alo I probably won't do GT. Baby would be more or less a rehash of Hatchiyack, and Super 17 would be a rehash of Cell and the Janemba stories. I could consider the Shadow Dragons.

**-Imaginatrix: I also just checked the publish dates up there, and I can't believe you wrote all of this in SIX MONTHS! You have officially earned my admiration.**

Only 6? It feels longer than that. Thanks regardless!


	49. Inferno

The creature known as Janemba, a demon born from pure evil energy, shot a wicked glare in the direction of the two who had the audacity to harm him. Piccolo and Vegeta, the Namekian shaman and the prince of all Saiyans respectively. Janemba's intellect was hardly developed, but he was quite certain he vastly eclipse these two in terms of strength...but they had discovered his weakness.

The demon had a rather fragile ego, insults could disrupt his physical form and make him 'crack' whenever he was insulted. Fairly painful, and these two were masters at exploiting such a weakness. He couldn't let them, Janemba had enough brain cells to know he shouldn't waste any time playing with these two.

A portal abruptly opened in front of Janemba, who promptly jammed his clenched fist through it. It reopened beside Vegeta and the shattering punch clocked him in the jaw. With blinding speed Janemba's rubber arm kept contracting and extending, the exit portal of his fist reopening in new areas all around Vegeta resulting in him being struck from every side and unable to block the attacks.

Piccolo leapt forth, ready to yell out an insult, before Janemba took aim with his sword arm. A quick flick of his wrist and a slice of energy was sent flying through the air from the ruby blade, an attack that Piccolo only narrowly avoided.

Janemba started to cackle, now having both warriors on the ropes. With his blinding speed and portal generation he could keep pummeling Vegeta from all sides, and then with the powerful slashes of his sword he could keep Piccolo dodging and prevent him from getting involved. Everything was going to go his way, he was sure of it.

Vegeta had other plans.

While the punches were disorienting, he had taken mighty beatings in the past and lived. He managed to gather some energy into his palm, tried to recognise the pattern of Janemba's punches, and then when one portal opened directly before him he let the energy explode from his hand and through the portal just before the fist could pass through.

The blast caught Janemba off guard, striking him in the thorax and making him stumble back from the power behind it. Piccolo took his chance and drove forward, yelling "STUPID FREAK!" at the top of his lungs. The insult sent shards breaking off of Janemba's body, fragments of multicoloured glass. Then Piccolo's knee caught the demon full on the face and knocked him away, his sword skittering from his hand.

Piccolo reared himself , ready to fire out another insult, when Janemba's body suddenly broke apart/ His body turned into tiny bricks that shifted through the air and then reassembled behind Piccolo in the blink of an eye. The Namekian was shocked, distracted just long enough for Janemba to punch him in the temple with enough force to knock him out. His body sailed through the air, and the Namekian's smacked down into a twisted mass of iron and warped glass.

Janemba grunted, ready to retrieve his blade, when Vegeta suddenly punched him with all the force he could muster up. Despite the pain and fatigue the blow to the stomach did make Janemba's eyes bulge from his head in an almost comical fashion "If you think...I'll lay down and die...against a FREAK like you...You've got another thing coming!" the insult formed more cracks on Janemba's body, which deepened further when Vegeta uppercutted him right into the air.

Suddenly Vegeta's jagged gold aura exploded around his body as he zoomed after Janemba as fast as he could. His hands were pushed out sideways, golden ki building in his palms into a powerful Final Flash attack.

The prince's blood was pumping now, and he ignored the pain burning in his purple bruises and bleeding cuts around his body. He was excited,the thrill only a Saiyan could find when facing down a foe of greater strength. The challenge to be overcome. He'd prove himself here, prove that he was stronger than Kakarot!

After a few more moments the evil entity managed to right himself in the air. He was prepared to blast Vegeta away, until the prince bellowed out another insult "Deformed piece of shit!" The harsh words knocked the demon back and broke more small shards off his body. It bought Vegeta just enough time to close the distance between them.

While Janemba was briefly distracted and disoriented Vegeta kicked the demon in the chin and sent him hurtling backward through the sky. Enough energy gathered for the Final Flash, it was now or never. His aura condensed down and Vegeta slammed his hands together at the wrist.

"FINAL...FLASH!" Vegeta roared at the top of his lungs, the sky around him erupting with a golden hue. The blast shot from Vegeta's hands like a column of light, a sword of pure energy piercing through the heavens. It was definitely going to hit, but the question was how much damage could an attack like this do to a monster like Janemba?

It drew closer, closer, it was going to egulf the demon...And then he managed to flip up and shove one arm up to block the wave of light. It exploded against his body like a volcanic eruption, the heat and power of the attack gradually pushing him backward through the sky inch by inch. This wasn't looking good, he needed to knock Vegeta out before the attack managed to engulf him.

He rubbed what few brain cells he had in a desperate bid to form a plan. He was strong, he could do anything if he thought hard enough. Gradually an idea formed in his mind.

From the distance Goku and Frieza watched. They knew their own plan, but they'd need Vegeta out of the way in order for it to work. "I don't like this..." Goku remarked, the lightning of his aura faintly crackling around his body. "Vegeta's attack is strong but it won't be enough to stop this guy. And he's putting everything he has into this, so once that blast ends he'll be utterly defenceless."

"I'm aware." Frieza replied in a dry matter-of-fact tone "I plan ahead. I might not be a fan of Vegeta, but I know how to save him if he's in trouble. Just focus on your own part of the plan." It was always odd to see just how serious Goku could become when the need arose, going from a manchild to a fierce warrior that even struck fear into Frieza in his tyrannical days.

"I know what I'm doing, I always have been the smarter of the two of us." Frieza added finally.

The impossible force of the Final Flash Attack pushed Janemba backward inch by inch. He could feel the heat burning into his flesh, the pain growing stronger and stronger with each passing second. He needed to end this quickly...and he had an idea now.

The evil entity cast his head in one direction, red and gold light sparking from his eyes. Two searing hot eyebeams shot from his pupils moving to Janemba's right, and then suddenly they turned in mid-air. The two beams of heat and light arced through the sky twisting and warping in the sky and moving closer and closer to Vegeta.

He saw the attack coming but he was in a catch 22 now. If he stopped his Final Flash now then Janemba would blast him to oblivion, and if he maintained the attack then he had no defenced against the optic blasts weaving his way.

Finally the two blasts curved through the air and struck Vegeta in the back with a burst of explosive power. Vegeta yelled in pain once the burn spread across his back and the pain was so disorienting that his blast sputtered out into nothing. With a blinding flash of purple light Janemba closed the distance and then struck Vegeta down to earth with a mighty swing of his tail.

Down he went, his injured body barely even conscious. His body struck the ground of one mesa with such force that the reflective surface shattered and cracked beneath him. His whole body shuddered in pain, and then his hair went from gold to black. Down for the count.

Janemba was huffing for breath, enraged and feeling pain tingling through his body. His right arm was covered in black scorch marks, and even the right side of his face had some singes from the heat of Vegeta's attack. He even had had some newly formed cracks on the purple piece of armour on his chest. Clearly the fact that he had been harmed was deeply pissing him off.

He raised an arm up and then aimed two fingers at the downed Saiyan. He was going to make sure to punish Vegeta for his insolence...A spark of red light glowed upon his fingertips, ready to fire off a destructive wave of energy.

At the last possible second, Frieza materialised in front of Janemba and kicked him in the face as hard as he could. The blow made his whole body shudder, and the demon was launched away through the air. His aura erupted and rippled around his body, and the Super Arcosian shot off after the injured being.

Frieza's elbow slammed down on Janemba's exposed red belly, once, twice and then thrice before spinning around and striking the demon on the burnt half of his face. Janemba was knocked away by the crushing tail slap, seemingly disoriented by the attack, and Frieza shot off to intercept him again with one clenched fist pulled back for a mighty punch.

His fist shot down with a thunderous sonic boom, only for his fist to be caught in the crushing vice-like grip of Janemba's unburnt hand. His eyes widened, the flames on his body flickering out slightly from the surprise. Janemba grinned.

The tables turned in the span of a second. Janemba's head drove forth, his neck elongating to an absurd and grotesque length, allowing him to smash his armoured forehead into Frieza's face. The rigid and dense material of Frieza's faceplate shattered under the force and exposed his face, in addition to flinging him backward through the multicoloured sky. The force of the impact was so violent Frieza thought his head was about to tear off his shoulders.

Janemba's fist flew through a portal that opened directly in front of him, the exit portal appearing in the right place to intercept Frieza so he could be punched down by the fist. His burnt fist shot through another portal, catching Frieza in the temple when it left the portal with enough force to crack two of his swooping horns. Another portal opened and then a beam of light exploded from his fanged maw, blasting the Arcosian in the abdomen and sending his smoking body driving down to the ground.

His head was swimming, his body ached al over. Frieza knew he couldn't endure more damage, he had to put an end to this and he had to do it now!

He gathered his wits, ceased his momentum, and then locked onto the demons energy. He vanished into hyperspace and reappeared right above him in the span of a nanosecond, much to the demon's shock. Frieza shoved both hands out and struck him with the most powerful telekinetic force he could muster, an attack that would have blown a hole clean through the moon.

Janemba was yowling and screaming and roaring as he was launched downward, and then crashed down on his hands and knees on the surface, sending massive cracks along the glassy and metallic surface. He tried to get up but...then the evil entity realised he couldn't move a single muscle. His body trembled, but that was all he could manage to do.

Right now Frieza was straining his psychic powers to the limit, holding every single molecule of Janemba's partially damaged body in place. He had to make sure Janemba couldn't break apart and reassemble elsewhere. In addition he had to make sure even if Janemba managed to open a portal directly beneath him that Frieza could keep his body from falling down into it.

"Goku!" Frieza yelled out "We're away from the others, I can't buy any more time! You have to do your attack now!" he roared at the top of his lungs, his voice carrying across the warped and distended landscape of hell.

In the sky on the horizon, a vibrant golden light appeared. Goku was floating in the sky,his body aglow with all the energy he had left. His hands were cupped at his hips, holding a vibrant blue ball of energy with crackling golden lightning arcing around the sphere. "Get ready for the mother of all Kamehameha's! I'm gonna hit you with everyting I have left!" the normally kind Saiyan yelled out.

With a deafening roar Goku shoved his hands out, blasting out the typhoon of swirling gold and blue light at the restrained demon. Janemba tried to scream but he was drowned out by the ear-rapingly loud volume of the incoming attack. It closed the distance at an insane speed, and then it engulfed the wicked creature.

The wave of energy and the earthquake it produced rocked the entire plane of hell and sent a web of deep fissures running along the ground. A golden dome rose up into the sky from the blast, blinding to stare into like a star. The heat was intense, even the air around the attack was so hot it would have melted steel. Shockwaves of force exploded out into the sky from the epicentre of the ki blast and almost blew Frieza away. But he was determined, he needed to keep this demon in place even if it cost him his own life!

The attack seemed to drag on and on, a blast that would have obliterated the earth. But finally, Goku's energy ran out, the blast and the explosion caused by it faded away into nothing. Frieza's body hung in the air, trembling from the energy he used maintaining a grip on Janemba. His body glowed white and then he powered down into his bruised and beaten 4th form.

He struggled to keep himself up in the air, and he moved as quick as he could. He plucked up Piccolo's body, then Vegeta's and carried them to a slightly undamaged mesa. As he went to get Goku he doubled over and vomited off the edge of the mesa, an intense migraine burning in his skull. Blood pumped from is nose like a fountain...God he had never used his psychic powers to such an extent, against such a powerful being. It was like trying to stop a planet from rotating.

After a few moments of heavy breathing Frieza managed to steady himself enough to float upright. He searched for Goku's faint energy and found the beaten and fatigued Saiyan lying atop one discarded bean gem. "Hehehe...That...that was awesome..." Goku giggled out breathlessly.

"You're...an idiot." Frieza grunted, hefting Goku onto his shoulder for support. "As impressive as our little group effort was...I don't quite think it did the trick...After all, the landscape still looks like a colouring book..."

"Ngh...well...that stinks, hehehe..." Goku managed to breathe out. He glanced to Frieza and noticed all the blood dried to his ivory face "Agh...We better get some senzu's soon...Neither of us are really in great condition, especially if that monster is still alive and kicking."

Piccolo was stirring by the time Frieza set Goku down, and he was slowly rubbing his brow "Is it over...?" he asked through a pained grunt.

Goku tried his best to shake is head, but even that took a great deal of effort on his part "Sorry...Doesn't seem like it Piccolo..." he managed to reply "Ah...over there. J-just take a look..." he added.

Those conscious slowly turned to see a figure emerge from the thick column of smoke rising through the air. Janemba. By god he looked a mess. Half of his face had just been eroded away, revealing the muscle and bone beneath his skin. The purple segments of armour were cracked and burnt all over, revealing a black void beneath. One of his arms was missing from the elbow down, showing nothing but a deformed stump. A cracked laugh escaped him, his mutilated face looking all the more grotesque when it moved.

"Well..." Frieza trailed off, watching the demonic figure sway through the air "Shit."

The demon was about to advance, when his body suddenly froze up again. In the deepest recesses of his mind he heard the word _'Now!'_ and it was as if his mind was being pried open by some unseen force

Janemba suddenly threw his head to the (Literal) heavens and screamed at the top of his lungs. His shrieking distorted the reality he had forged by his power and talent, shifting everything even further. Volcanoes sprouted up all along the land and started to spew fire and lava into the air. The lava turned into water, then into steam, then into liquid obsidian,and then it froze in the air entirely.

The demons screaming only grew louder. Colour became inverted, colour diluted into black and white, colour became sepia toned, and then colour finally returned to normal. The conscious Z-warriors could only watch in horror and awe, and then all of them seemed to notice something starting to form on his brow. A stylised 'M'.

Janemba's disfigured and maimed body turned into a mound of humanoid tar, his eyes and the M on his forehead glowing red and remaining visible at all times. Over a dozen portals seemed to open in the air all around him and through those several hundred black mounds of tar flew through and merged into Janemba's body, his form growing with every passing second.

The souls of the dead from the living world were being pulled back. Back into hell. Into Janemba. Merging into a single entity.

Colour was gradually being drained from Hell, turning it into a black and white wasteland. The others were transfixed, gazing in horror at Janemba's growing body. He was almost a giant at this stage and still growing. "We need to get out of here! Now!" Piccolo yelled, visibly panicking.

"I don't have the energy to get us out of here with Instant Transmission!" Frieza snapped, glaring back at the Namekian. Piccolo's arm stretched out and he tightly gripped Frieza's hand with his own. A halo of white light enveloped both of them as Piccolo channelled all his remaining energy into Frieza's body. It wasn't much, but...It was going to have to suffice.

Goku and Piccolo both gripped onto the Arcosian a best they could. Frieza's long ivory tail curled around the unconscious Vegeta's waist and held him tight. Frieza stared at the growing mass of tar and bile that was Janemba for a fleeting moment, before vanishing into Hyperspace with his allies.

* * *

The other warriors had all gathered several miles outside of West City once the dead seemed to simply vanish of the streets. They stood in one large grassy plain, discussing what the hell happened. Gohan believed his dad had simple solved the problem, but the abrupt nature of this victory plus no communication with Goku had them all worried.

While they spoke there was the noise of a whistling in the wind, and Goku, Frieza, Piccolo and Vegeta all seemed to appear directly behind Gohan. The group turned, clearly shocked and Gohan exclaimed "D-dad! Piccolo! You guys are in rough shape, we better get you some first aid."

The ground rumbled and a golden flash enveloped the group once Inyon abruptly transformed into a Super Saiyan 2. "I'll go to that magic talking cat and bug him for those beans of his! Oooh, I wonder if I can make a giant beanstalk if I plant one..."

"Ah...You guys, something big is still in hell. It's strong, almost beat the four of us."Goku cut in, struggling to sit upright. "It's transforming again, getting even stronger. It'll take a group effort to beat it...Inyon go as quick as you can and get the senzu beans..."

Inyon gave a mock salute, still grinning despite the gravity of the situation, and then she took off into the air like a rocket. Gohan turned, looking to the children of the group "You all need to get out of here. Now." he said sternly.

"Wha- but why?" Goten whined.

"Hey man, we're Super Saiyans too! We can help!" Trunks snapped. Gohan often found it hard to believe that this brat held any relation to the polite young man from the future.

The older Saiyan leaned in close, the two young half-bloods trembling slightly when they saw the grave expression on his face "Do you remember what Hatchiyack did to you two?" he asked "Well this...thing, whatever it is, seems to be even stronger than that. So I sorely advise you kids to run along before you have to slurp up mashed Senzu beans through a straw."

Goten and Trunks both gulped hard, laughed nervously, and then flew off as quick as they could. Glace was aware she got off light against that Tuffle robot, so she took off too. Maybe she could pass the time with Bento and her mom.

Gohan then glanced to Videl "You should get out of here too."

Videl blinked, shocked and annoyed "Wha- you think that just because I'm a girl I can't help you?" she asked, enraged veins popping up on her brow.

"That's not it at all. Videl, 18 and Zangya are almost a thousand times stronger than you, as am I. My dad and Frieza have surpassed me by a fair bit. And if that creature was able to beat them to within an inch of their lives, how good a chance do you think you'll stand against it?" Gohan explained. He placed a hand on Videl's shoulder "I care about you, and I have faith in your abilities...but against something like this, you're just not ready."

Videl's expression was unreadable, a mix of annoyance and understanding would possibly be the only way to describe it. Finally she nodded and said "You stay safe. You idiot." with that she flew off, likely back to her family home.

It was a few minutes later when Inyon returned, twirling the bag of beans on her finger. Everyone who needed a bean took one, and soon the group were in fighting form once again. "So what exactly are we dealing with here Goku?" Krillin asked.

Goku stretched out his sore muscles and then tore off the tattered remains of his navy undershirt "King Kai told me that this guy was one of the ogre workers who accidentally got exposed to pure evil energy and mutated into a reality warping monster. He managed to overpower me when he transformed, even when I was a Super Saiyan 3."

"Huh. Well that's just great." 18 remarked dryly "I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't like our odds of winning here."

Zangya shrugged and looked over the group "Any plan then? Come on, this thing had to have some kind of weakness...Anything at all?"

"Insults." Piccolo remarked "Everything he and everything he made, me and Vegeta could damage them with insults. Sounds strange, believe me I know. Still, I don't know if it'll be as effective against it now."

There was a sudden rumbling, a tremor in the ground growing stronger and more noticeable with each passing second. The stench of death and putrescence filled the air, and there was a definite sensation of heat growing around the group. "We'll find out soon enough..." Vegeta whispered, looking to a white dot in the sky above them.

That dot grew, another tear forming in the barrier between the living realm and the otherworld, being opened by a long red claw. That claw spread that tear until it was like a mile long gap in the sky, and then through that two hands the size city blocks began to pry the rip open. Goku, Gohan and Vegeta both transformed until the light of their Super Saiyan 2 aura's filled the air, an illumination against the void warping the colours in the sky.

Long skeletal black arms held the portal open, and then a head began to peer through the void. It still looked vaguely like Janemba's last form in that he had the horns and the odd helmet atop his skull, but the face beneath that looked like a partially flayed visage. On his brow, quite prominently, there was a glowing orange M.

"I think...I'm gonna be sick..." Yamcha breathed out. He steadied himself as the giant centipede-like body began to crawl through, casting its shadow over the group. His ribcage was quite visible, filled with dripping tar. Eyes were visible inside, fearful pleading eyes, and so many hands reaching out through the gaps in the ribcage, begging for help and freedom. The damned souls dragged and merged into Janemba's body.

This demonic creature, now fully freed from the portal, was over 380 feet in length. It's body an alien travesty, a mish-mash of various different organisms. Like a centipede and a corpse. A clacking sound escaped its mouth, distorted laughter that was almost deafening to hear.

When it finally spoke, it spoke in a voice made from an amalgamation of Babidi and the Demon King Dabura. And its words were chilling to hear, words that made the Z-warriors flinch back in terror.

"I...Am...A god..."

* * *

A/N: The final battle with Majin Janemba begins, and the heroes have to pull out all the stops to take him on! How well can they withstand the combined wrath of hell itself?

Now, noble readers, I have something that needs to be said: This fic can not go on forever. Matter of fact it won't even last much longer going by my estimation. It should last about another 10 chapters or thereabouts. I have no plans to do a GT adaptation, this fic will end with Z.

That's not to say I'm giving up on this fic, or that I'm going to end it prematurely. I will still polish off the Janemba arc, and then I will have a character development chapter, then Battle of Gods will be adapted (Though I still have yet to see it) and then the finale at the World Tournament, like the end of Z. I'm just letting you all know that I have a very definite end point in mind for this story and that this story will not extend past Z.

**-Pointer39: 600? Lol, I'm about to make it 696! You're practically at 700 lmao.**

Believe me dude I'm just as shocked. Mohammad was kind enough to go back and review most of the chapters, so that did help boost the review numbers a fair bit.

**-Secundum: Will Majin Janemba have any absorbtion shenanigans?**

Eeeeeh...I guess you could call what has happened an absorption of sorts.

**-Ocnarf: Can incluid Darkseid in the history**

This isn't a crossover, so no. Plus the amount of bitching I'd have to put up with from fanboys would be ridiculous, regardless of how powerful I made Darkseid in relation to the DBZ characters. (And to avoid such comments I will not say how well I think Darkseid compares to DBZ)

**-Super Vegetarott: Nah, in all seriousness, awesome chapter. However, I don't believe Janemba could ever form conscious words in his Final Form. **

Eh. He could say his own name, I imagine he could form some simple words if he tried hard enough.


	50. Divine Comedy

"God...it's hurting my eyes just looking at this thing.." Gohan grunted out. Despite this he was unable to tear his gaze from the deformed and grotesque sight that was Majin Janemba. The creature threw its head back and let out a cackle, an echoing laugh that made its skeletal centipede-like body rumble from the motions.

"And that power..." 18 remarked, her eyes wide in stark horror "You said that thing was powerful before, but I don't...I don't think anything has any right to be this strong."

Frieza scowled "It's absorbed several denizens of hell, added a portion of their power to its own by the look of things. Thankfully I don't think he's able to tap into all the power of those he absorbed, so with our combined might we might just have a chance."

It's giant clawed hand swooped down to the gathered warriors, and they were all forced to scatter into the air. Those claws cleaved through rock earth and stone as if they were butter, long claw marks raking into the earth itself and leaving scorch marks wherever they touched.

"Damnit, that's fast..." Vegeta grunted out. Suddenly Janemba's skeletal jaw dropped and it's lengthy snake like tongue flew from the open maw. It exploded into a whole storm of black gooey tentacles, lashing out through the air at blinding speeds with intent to spear anything that got to close.

Krillin was struck first, smacked across the face by one long tendril and sent hurtling up into the clouds. A second one caught his wife, wrapping around her waist and then crashing her through a large tower of rock that shattered when her body connected with it. Gohan shot forth, managing to deftly dodge the incoming strikes with the enhanced speed of a Super Saiyan 2. He shoved one hand out and an arc of lightning exploded from his palm, striking at the heart of the vile mound of tentacles.

The last hit the oily surface with a thunderous explosion. Janemba shrieked from the blast, its tongues retracting back into his mouth with a plume of smoke rising from his exposed teeth. Suddenly the demons whole body seemed to break apart, forming into into a cloud marble sized orbs of tar that shot up into the sky. While they seemed a liquid, they were fully solid when they hit something, as Gohan quickly discovered.

They swarmed and circled around him, the ball bearings striking him repeatedly in the face or the chest, knocking the Half-Saiyan through the air. The others were fairing no better really, all having to move as fast as they could do avoid a beatdown.

The ebony marbles knocked the warriors back through the air, forcing them into one tight cluster and continuing to strike from all sides. Frieza grunted, trying to steady himself, and then his aura suddenly exploded outward "Follow my lead! Flare your auras out, the gusts should knock those things away!"

The others made no response and no objections either. This idea was better than group powered up in unison, a swirling ball of light forming around them and releasing gale force winds. Those black marbles were either scattered to the wind or vaporized by the heat of the ki sphere.

The hundreds of marbles flew up into the ait and then immediately formed into a black cloud of tar that eclipsed the sun hanging in the sky. A storm of lazer fire erupted from the cloud, forcing the group of warriors to scatter once more. However Yamcha was soon struck with one explosive blast and sent crashing face first into the earth. Every missed blast from the twisting mass of tar in the sky struck against the grassy plains, releasing an earth-shaking explosion with every attack.

Finally Majin Janemba reformed fully, small chips missing from his vertebrae from the lost mass but that was only faintly skeletal maw opened again, releasing a deafening shriek that caused shockwaves miles around. The power of the shriek disoriented the warriors, leaving them some very vulnerable targets.

Janemba's skeletal arm raised up, casting a long shadow along the once lush landscape. Then with one swoop Piccolo, Gohan and Inyon were sent hurtling away on collision with the back of Janemba's giant hand.

Just as the eldritch giant prepare to blast his foes to bits, a golden streak flew past his red eyes and collided with the bony black surface of the demon's arm. A destructo disc. Then two pink ones, flung by none other than Android 18, also struck the beasts wrist. They dug in a few centimeters made the demon yowl in pain, and then they were flung into the heavens with a swing of Janemba's wrist.

It was in the time that he was distracted that Goku managed to cross the distance. His arm shot forth and a beam of light flew from his palm, striking Janemba in the left eye and making him shriek in white hit agony. He covered his damaged eye with one hand, leaving him wide open from the left side.

A bullet of ki shot out from Inyon's maw, a powerful explosion ripping into the unguarded side of the demons ribcage. The blast left a small smouldering portion of tar in his chest and staggered him back slightly. While he was stunned Tien and Goku flew up further into the air and took aim at the thrashing demon's back.

Tien's body flashed with mingling red and gold light as an explosiv tri-beam shot from his hands, while Goku launched a barely charged Kamehameha wave from his outstretched hands. Both blasts struck the different shoulder blades with enough explosive power to crack the ebony bone and make the demon shriek again.

Janemba's head suddenly snapped around at a 180 degree angle, the shock making the two seasoned warriors gasp in shock. Two blasts of purple energy erupted from his eyes, the left one now recovered enough to manage it. Tien had to boost his durability to the limit to withstand the blast that sent him hurtling into the heavens, while the beam that struck Goku knocked him away into the horizon.

A sphere of tar exploded from Janemba's ribs while the demon was still looking away, the gellatinous goo encasing and hardening around Inyon, sending her crashing into the battle-scarred plains. Janemba's neck twisted around again, his glare fixed onto 18 and Krillin.

Another bolt of purple light shot from his eye, zig-zagging toward Krillin at a blinding speed. 18 moved forth and held her husband close to intercept the attack, and once it hit she had to endure the brunt of it, the explosive force of it managing to knock them both out and across the cloudy sky.

The giant cackled, its shadow blotting out the ground below. While it was distracted Frieza took a moment to zoom down, and he had to use a decent bit of ki to shatter the super dense surface encased around Inyon.

Up above, Vegeta and Zangya rushed forth together, a combined assault on Janemba's forehead, striking him with all the force they could muster. The combined effort was decent enough all things considered, the power of the two warriors managing to cause visible cracks along the surface of the evil entity's browline.

Of course, their effort was aided by the slew of insults being flung from Vegeta's mouth. "Ugly bastard! Filthy monster! Deformed jackass!" The insults didn't seem to be as effective as they were before, but every word did spread the cracks along the surface of the abominations skull.

Suddenly the cracked ebony flesh began to bubble and ripple, and then a swarm of elongated arms sprung forth. Their fists struck from all sides, every possible angle, and with a force that was shocking to feel. Vegeta was beaten back through the air by the stretching limbs, and then a firm uppercut knocked him clean into the clouds.

Zangya tried her best to hold her ground, managing to block many of the incoming fists. However the sheer number of them was overwhelming and soon she was being struck from all sides. In between blows she managed to grunt out "I...really hate demons!" One ebony fist caught the top the Heran's head, knocking her down to earth and striking it with enough force to split the ground.

It was at that moment that the creature spun around, sensing something amiss. A large blue orb of ki was growing in Goku's palm, his golden aura exploding out off his body. "I'm putting an end to this, right now!" Goku yelled out, just as a golden flash enveloped him and he jumped into his Super Saiyan 3 form.

The explosive Kamehameha wave burst from Goku's hands when he drove them forward, the pale blue blast of light arcing through the air toward the cosmic horror. Janemba's maw suddenly opened side, and then beam of gold and violet light escaped his throat, quickly starting to overwhelm Goku's own attack.

"Masenko!" Gohan roared out, firing off his own golde blast from directly above his father. His attack seemed to merge with Goku's own, but even this did little to stem the tidal wave that was Janemba's mouth blast.

"Gallick Gun!"

"Desctructive Wave!"

Two more blasts joined the fray, the purple blast flung from Vegeta's own hands and the spire of gold chi launched out of Piccolo's palms. These blasts were mighty on their own, and the four were titanic together. However all they were managing to do was slow the speed of the demons blast to a crawl.

Tien and Zangya zoomed in, taking aim with their own attacks. A boosted Kamehameha wave exploded from Tien's palm while Zangya fired off a crackling white ki beam. Those attacks added to the others seemed to finally halt the advance of Janemba's attacks.

The colliding attacks filled the air with the sounds of thunder. The blinding light show cast a blazing glow across the sky for miles around, as if someone had set fire to the clouds above. The surface trembled and quaked in fear of the awful power blazing in the air.

Frieza and Inyon leapt up into the air, the gold of Inyon's SSJ2 aura mingling with the scarlet of Frieza's Super Arcosian aura. Frieza fired off his Punishing Blaster and Inyon released hr Atomic Burst, and finally it seemed these two attacks were adding in enough power to turn the tide of the epic beam struggle.

Inch by inch they closed the distance, and the wriggling monster tried in vain to regain control of the clash. The Z-fighters multiple attacks all seemed to twist and merge into one single beam of multicoloured light, a typhoon of pure energy. "I...I'll end this right now!" Goku yelled at the top of his lungs, barely audible against the explosive volume of the beam clash.

Goku's aura seemed to suddenly triple in size, like a golden star blazing in the heavens. He was pouring out almost every bit of ki his Super Saiyan 3 form could pump out. A boom of power ran through the combined attack, and then it finally seemed to overwhelm Janemba with a mighty white hot explosion.

The combined attack faded away into nothing, and the group all breathed out a sigh from the exertion. Goku had spent the most energy from that, transforming back down into his base form, barely able to keep airborne.

The light faded away, returning the sky to its normal hue and revealing Janemba. The left half of his face had been blown clean off by the attack (Yet for some strange reason his left eye was still floating in the air as a glowing red light) as had several of his long red talons. His bony structure was fractured and cracked all along his absurd length, and it seemed the bottom third of his body had been vaporized entirely.

Another shriek passed the monsters maw, the force scattering the group through the air. Piccolo managed to catch Goku and keep him from falling, but he couldn't stop the force launching him skyward. Colour seemed to fade while Janemba shrieked, leaving everything a stark black and white colour. Mountains and hills broke off from the landscape and floated into the air, no longer under the effects of gravity.

"Ngh! Goku, we're out of options...If that thing is made of pure evil energy, then the pure good energy of a Spirit Bomb will be enough to finish it off..." Piccolo said, huffing for breath.

Goku grunted, finding it difficult to even look up at Piccolo "I don't think that guy will give me plenty of time to charge one up...I'll try to do what I can though."

One of the floating mountains flew forth and smashed into Gohan and Tien, the powerful impact making the mountain explode into a cloud of dust and boulders, the power of the blow enough to knock both of the warriors unconscious.

"Damnit all to hell...Okay okay, I'll help you out on this any way I can...I'll make a giant ball of Porunga's dragonfire, we can merge the blasts together...should be enough to finish this thing off." Piccolo remarked. Goku nodded in response and raised his hands above his head, starting to gather the needed energy from the planet.

A portal opened before Zangya, one ebony fist flying out and striking her in the forehead with enough force to knock her out. Inyon leapt back as another portal opened before her, moving just fast enough to avoid the attack. She zoomed into the air until she was floating up with Frieza ad Vegeta, the only other two warriors available.

"You three!" Piccolo yelled out, raising his own arms up "Distract it! We need all the time we can get!"

"Vegeta and I working together..." Frieza mused. His body flashed and he transformed into his Super Arcosian 2 form. However he only had access to half his max power now due to his injured and tired state. "...Well isn't that an interesting turn of events."

Lightning and yellow waves of chi rippled around Vegeta as he powered up to the max of his SSJ2 form, veins popping up along his skin "Tch, don't think this makes us best friends or anything Frieza."

Inyon gave a loud whistle, focusing on the damaged demon flying their way at a surprisingly high speed "Guys! Shut up! Before I put the both of ya's over my knee and paddle your bums."

The trio split up, flying through the white sky with only their auras providing any colour to the area. Inyon zig-zagged rapidly, one of Janemba's eyes moving around and trying in vain to tag her with its eye beams. Vegeta meanwhile zipped under the demons ribcage, a flurry of golden ki balls flying from one palm and exploding against the gooey surface in his chest. Frieza had swug around to the creatures remaining back and started firing off a barrage of death beams into Janemba's spine.

Explosions ran up the length of the damaged abomination, making it thrash and shriek in pain. The tip of Janemba's broken tail swung down and smashed Vegeta toward the surface by complete accident. More broken shards flew from the demons body, drifting off aimlessly into the air.

While Vegeta was hurting down, a large portal opened before the demon and he promptly shot his palm through it, the exit portal opening below Frieza and causing him to hurtle up into the monochrome sky when the strike hit him. The demon twisted his body like a hungry serpent, dodging a blast from Inyon. He caught a boulder with telekinesis and then flung it at Inyon, striking her in the back of the head to disorient her. This time, Janemba's eye beam hit dead on, the explosion sending the injured SSJ2 back through the air with a trail of smoke behind her.

In the sky a vibrant blue ki bubble grew larger with every passing second. Piccolo was straining his remaining ki, and it seemed he had managed to make his green fireball just as large as the Spirit Bomb. They just needed a little more time.

Inyon crashed into the side of one of the floating mountains, her body becoming embedded in the dense layers of rock. She struggled to free herself, but the blast had done a real number on her body and left her muscles aching.

Vegeta shot through the air like a golden bullet, roaring in anger. His fist collided with Janemba's temple with an explosive sonic boom, and with all the force behind the attack it managed to break off Janemba's remaining horn and send it crashing down. Janemba shrieked and jerked back, recoiling from the pain.

"You hurt me..." Janemba hissed, clenching one giant fist. This Saiyan monkey had the audacity to break the horn of Babidi's puppet? The bastard, he deserved to suffer for that. "DIE!" Janemba shrieked out, punching Vegeta with his massive fist and sendig him crashng into one floating island of rock. It split clean in half on impact and managed to knock Vegeta out cold.

Now, there was only Frieza to distract the demon.

It was at that moment that Janemba looked to the sky, the ruined remains of his jaw opening i shock as they beheld Goku and Piccolo forcing their attacks together. The blue sphere and the flaming green sphere were merging and twisting into a supermassive golden mass of light in the air, wisps of jade fire shimmering along the surface. That thing, a combination of lethal fire magic and pure good energy could be fatal if it hit!

He raised his claw up, red lightning running up the length of his claws as he readied himself to blow the two out of the sky. Suddenly a large chunk of mountain struck the giant beast in the wrist, the power of the impact making the rock explode into dust and knocked Janemba's wrist away. He turned, and then his red glare settled on Frieza's charged up form.

"Forgot about me did you...?" Frieza growled. He didn't have to hold him off much longer, but these next few seconds had to count. Jets of fire swirled around Frieza's body, and then they formed into one ball of multicoloured fire in front of his chest.

Then his power erupted, exploded outward like a volcanic eruption. A massive vent of spiraling fire that hit the remaining side of Janemba's face, burning into the black flesh until it began to bubble and grow red hot. Janemba squealed in agony, his whole body growing rigid from the daggers of pain ripping into his brain. This wasn't enough to kill him, but by god was it enough to harm him.

The demons shrill screams of pain kept up, even when Frieza's flamethrower subsided. The Arcosian's body glowed white as he used up most of his remaining ki, and then he was forcibly powered down into his fourth form. Frieza gasped for breath, then let his gaze linger on the melting and smoking ruin of Janemba's head, and he managed to grin at the sight.

"Hmhm...And to think, you were once so handsome." he gathered up his remaining ki, and then with Instant Transmission he vanished and reappeared behind Goku and Piccolo.

Goku steadied himself, before he and his Namek ally yelled and flung their blazing bubble of energy at the badly damaged demon. Janemba raised his maimed hands up, catching the ball in his palms...only for the positive energy and mystic fire to start burning and stripping its way through his hands.

The blast forced his crippled and disfigured form into the earth, quakes and tremors shaking the landscape that grew more intense with every passing inch. Janemba simply couldn't get a good enough grip on this thing to deflect it or even halt its advance.

"This...ends...now!" Goku yelled, loud enough to be heard despite the noise. The flaming Spirit Bomb rippled and shifted against Janemba, and then it finally exploded in a glorious supernova of light, blinding to behold, followed by a noisy explosion so loud it could be mistaken for dragon roaring.

A massive mushroom cloud rose up into the sky, and then colour began to return to the universe. The remaining mountains and hills crashed down to their previous positions, the shuddering crash enough to dislodge Inyon from her prison in the rock. The winds subsided and the smoke began to clear, revealing a deep crater in the plains...and a charred blackened human figure at the deepest part of the hole.

Despite the shock of the sight, Goku was still able to fully register King Kai's voice in his mind "Goku, you did it! The afterlife is back to normal, and the Check-in station is pulling the dead back to their right plane of existence...That creature mustn't have the power to maintain his warped reality anymore."

Goku managed to grin, he and his two allies slowly floating down to the crater. "Is that thing still alive?" Frieza asked, glowering down at the heavily burnt and maimed figure. It looked as if he was melting, pools of black sticky sludge forming around wherever he touched.

The Janemba's eyes shot up, yellow eyes brimming with hatred. He grunted weakly, tried in vain to move...But all the power he had gained from Babidi's spell had utterly deserted him and left him powerless.

"Not for long by the look of things. Let's finish this now." Piccolo remarked, lazily lifting one arm up. He summoned up some remaining ki, emerald fire burned at his fingertips. A final immolating blast would put an end to this.

"Wait!" Goku exclaimed, making Piccolo recoil slightly out of surprise. Goku grunted for breath, and then looked down at the barely alive creature in the crater "That thing...it's a parasite using an innocent kid as a host. We can't...I mean if there's a chance to save him..."

Frieza snorted "And what do you propose we do? Ask him nicely to leave? It's a barely intelligent monster Goku, it can hardly be reasoned with." he explained. Janemba didn't even seem aware that his fate was being discussed, he was still desperately trying to break free from the drying pools of his remains.

Goku hummed in thought. He was no genius, but there had to be...something he could do to save the kid that this monster was piggybacking on. After a few moments of thought, during which both Piccolo and Frieza grew increasingly irritated, he snapped his fingers when a revelation hit "Seal him away inside the kid!"

Piccolo blinked, his face solemn and unreadable. "Excuse me?"

"You know...Use magic and stuff to seal the demon inside the kids body." Goku said, scratching the back of his head in an awkward fashion.

Piccolo grit his teeth "That doesn't solve the problem Goku! That thing down there would still exist, and what would happen if it got loose?! We barely made it away this time! Leaving a power like that in the body of some punk kid is just asking for trouble."

Frieza stood back to observe. His garnet pupils moved between Goku and Piccolo, occasionally lingered on the gagging and rasping form of Janemba, but he made no moves yet. Where was Goku going with this?

"Do you remember when Gohan was a kid? How he had that freakish inner-power that put both of us to shame when it appeared? Were we terrified of him? Did we try to kill him?" Goku grunted, clenching his fists together "No. We trained him, we had him reign in his anger and take better control of his power, made it an asset for us."

"Those are two very different things Goku." Piccolo replied grimly "Gohan was never strong enough to destroy dimensions, he can't change reality on a whim. What you're suggesting is like trying to take control of a tsunami."

Goku exhaled slowly, and then clapped a firm hand onto his former enemies shoulder "Just trust me on this. I can train that kid, I can get him to control that creatures power. Heck, we won't be around forever. Gotta make sure that the youngsters will be able to handle things."

Piccolo hesitated, glancing over at the putrid mess of Janemba's body. Finally he gave a sigh "I guess if he gets loose again we can take him down easily as a combined force...Fine." he strode into the crater, crouched over the barely conscious demon "Frieza come here for a second, I need your help."

The lord of Arcos strode past Goku and into the crater. "Not bad. You might have made for a fine diplomat...if you could focus on anything other than food and fighting." he said dryly. He crouched beside Piccolo, and the two didn't seem remotely bothered by the demons weak attempts to reach for their necks. "What do you have in mind?"

"Psychic and mystic blocks. You do the former, I do the latter." Piccolo replied.

"And you're sure that will work?"

Piccolo shrugged "Goku seems determined to go through this nonsense, so we might as well try it. Just follow my lead." With that the Namekian splayed his fingers out, and then he started to speak in the ancient Namekian language. Old and powerful words, and entire dictionary engraved into his mind from absorbing Nail, Kami and Slak.

Frieza's own palms pushed forth, sparks of purple light dancing around his eyes as he tried to form a mental blockade on the demon to prevent it breaking free. Janemba howled in pain, his melted flesh starting to crack and suck inward, Then he began to glow as magic and psychic power worked in tandem to seal him away in the deepest recesses of the young ogre's mind.

The sludge vanished away into dust, revealing the uninjured form of Saike underneath. His eyes opened slowly and he crawled up onto his hands and knees "Oww...where am I...?"

He looked up, saw Frieza and Piccolo loom over him, before yelping and falling back "Oh god don't kill me! I'll never listen to my headphones during work again! I swear!"

"He's babbling." Piccolo grunted out.

"Well I could always give him the back of my hand. That tends to quiet down the hysterical ones." Frieza chimed in.

Saike cleared his throat and struggled to his feet "Wh-who are you guys?"

Goku leapt into the pit, landed a few inches away from Saike, and the young oni fell down again out of shock "I'm Goku!...Whoa, that demon inside you has given you a pretty impressive power boost..."

"D-demon? What the heck are you talking about?" Saike stammered out.

"You were possessed by an evil entity. It was either seal it inside you or kill you. Goku spared your life kid." Piccolo explained.

Saike thought back to his last memories. It was as if he had been in a dream these last several hours "Wait I...I remember now, there was an explosion at the soul cleaner machine...Oh crap, how much damage did I do...?"

"Nothing that can't be fixed." Goku said, helping Saike up to his feet "Still there is the problem of helping you control that creature inside you. You'll need training. And I'm just the guy to give it to you!"

Saike laughed nervously "I ah...I don't have a choice in this, do I?"

"Nope!" Goku added, a simple-minded grin on his face.

* * *

A/N: Thus ends the Janemba saga. Up next...well, we'll see.

Though I want to point out that I STILL haven't found a subbed version of BoG yet, so you may have to wait some time for the final saga of this story. A pity, I know, but that's how it goes.

**-Kyakumaru: BTW, is there art for Frieza's other 2 forms?**

I wish. I've had zero fanart for this fic.

**-Imaginatrix: All I can say is I'm glad your story is ACTUALLY COVERING EVERYTHING TILL THE END OF Z. Unlike "Honor Trip". The fact that the latter fic is ending so abruptly saddens me greatly. I don't mind that you're not covering GT. What you've done with some of the movies is impressive enough. xD**

Thanks for the compliments. I have to admit, I too was disappointed to hear of Honor Trip ending. Then again American Vigor does have his RL obligations and it takes a great deal of effort to pump out chapters as long as the average HT ones. It's understandable if he couldn't bring the series into the Buu saga and beyond.

**-Protoguy824: Sorry, but just to inform you (in case you don't know) Broly got as strong as he is by the Saiyan ability to get stronger in every fight, near death situations, and in his legendary super Saiyan form he gains a lot more power by the second.**

No, he really doesn't. His ki is constantly regenerating, but there's a definite limit to how much he can contain at a time. Hell at one point he even outright states his power is overflowing, and he had to spam a dozen ki blasts out because of the great pain it was causing him.

**-Animeman12: Sh!t is going down! We gonna see any fusions in the near future?**

Maaaaaybe...Hint hint.


	51. Peace Time

Sunlight glimmered off the clear lake water, the sun rising slowly on the horizon and basking nature in its welcoming orange glow. Frieza stood at the shore of the lake, his arms folded across his chest.

Something had been gnawing at him this past while, an inescapable feeling that worried the former ruler of the galaxy to no end. There was one person he trusted to be honest with him on the matter, due to her brash nature...All he needed to do was wait for her to arrive.

It had been a few years since Janemba's defeat, and once again the earth had lapsed back into a relative sense of stability and security. Still, Earth's defenders knew better than to slack off on their training. Something always found a way to rise up and threaten them when they least expected. None seemed to train harder than Goku, now that he had an apprentice to keep in line and work off of.

That oni boy was a bit of a slacker, but damn that demon inside of him gave him an incredible boost in natural strength. Last time Frieza checked, in his sealed form, Saike was just as strong as Goku as a Super Saiyan 1. Most impressive.

Frieza was snapped from his thoughts by the sounds of wind whistling overhead, and he quickly glanced into the air to see Inyon stop in the air just above him. "What's up Freezy Pop?" she asked, flipping through the air and then landing on the shores beside the Arcosian. "What did ya call me out here for?"

"Ah, good to see you again." Frieza greeted, managing a wry smile. "How have things been going with you...?" he asked, deciding to start with some small talk.

Inyon shrugged and lazily rocked on her heels "Meh, doing some training, chugging beers. Yamcha's bugging me about kids again." she sighed and paced back and forth "Of course he's all eager about the idea, he's not the one who has to shoot the little sprog out..."

Frieza rolled his eyes "Honestly you probably wouldn't even feel a kid popping out of you." he remarked.

"True enough...so what's been up with you...?" Inyon asked.

Frieza furrowed his brow, figuring it was the best time to ask Inyon for her opinion. He gathered his nerves and then finally asked "Do you think I've gone soft?"

The ebony Saiyaness cocked her head to one side and the scratched at her mop of red hair. "Ah jeez, this is gonna be one of them heart to heart things, ain't it?" She sighed and then took a seat on a large grey boulder on the shore, her light blue armoured boots digging into the thick rock. "Alright...define 'soft' I guess..."

The Arcosian clicked his teeth in thought, wondering how best to phrase this. "It's...I feel as if my time on Earth has made me docile. It's not like when we met, when we had a mission or a goal. I've been aimless on earth, existng solely to deal with whatever threat may arise. I just don't feel as strong as I was."

His friend stretched out on the rock, getting comfy for what was sure to take some time "Meh. You did kind of have to change. You couldn't be a good guy and the same sadistic despot you used to be..."

"I'm aware..." Frieza murmured. He slowly plucked a pebble off the ground, which he then skimmed along the water with enough force to part the lake almost in half. "I feel I've let myself fall too far. Went from an emperor to an earth immigrant."

"You picked Cooler to rule Arcos, dummy." Inyon replied, rolling her eyes slightly "You said he had more right to it since he was older, and you didn't want to risk fallin' back into your old ways." she explained. She sat up fully then and glanced to the ivory alien "So...what is this, you feeling homesick? Or this some mid-life crisis shit?"

"I dunno..." Frieza replied. "It's...I just wonder if I could do more there than here...But I know that there's temptation in a throne." he started to pace about the shore, while Inyon started to hum in thought.

Finally the dark-skinned Saiyan hopped up off the boulder and approached the former dictator "Well what about your family? They gotta' make you happy, don't they?"

Frieza furrowed his brow, wondering how best to put it. It was certainly one of the more complex matters of his life that he had been grappling with recently.

* * *

Mount Paozu was basking in a lovely warm light, the heat of the afternoon lingering in the air. Atop one grassy hill, not to far from the home of the Son family, stood two individuals taking a break from their training session.

"Okay, time for round two!" Goku exclaimed, a giddy smirk on his face. He quickly finished tying the white belt of his powder blue dogi shirt, the colour contrasting nicely with his baggy black pants and orange and black shoes. "You inished catching your breath?" the Saiyan asked.

Saike was quickly gulping down a chilled bottle of water, which he then tossed aside as soon as he finished his drink. He hopped to his feet, adjusted his black tank top with the turtle school kanji on the back and then fixed the waistline of his dark brown shorts "You know it master! I got you this time!"

The Oni had, at first, been a reluctant apprentice. It took him long to learn the basic moves Goku could show him, he had a fine degree of laziness compared to anyone else Goku had trained with, and he generally didn't seem to like the human world. But with his persistence and his kindness, Goku managed to win Saike over to life on Earth. He had grown to be far friendlier, and his participation in training grew more eager with every day.

Gohan and Goten would also come up to take part in the training from time to time. Surprisingly enough, Goku was actually acting as an attentive father and tried to spread his time evenly between his family and his apprentice. He did however go to the Ottherworld from time to time in search of new techniques, just in case Janemba broke his seal again. In fact, Goku was certain he had the best possible technique for putting the evil entity down if he broke free again.

A flash of golden light erupted around Goku's body, his hair spiking up as he entered into his first Super Saiyan form. "Alright Saike, bring it on!" he said, grinning. Saike shoved one forth against the grassy ground, shattering it from the inhuman strength in his legs.

Goku raised up one arm, narrowly blocking one incoming punch with his upraised forearm. The shockwave of the collision sent fissures running along along the green fields and sent clouds of dirt and dust into the air.

They leapt away from each other, and then teacher and student shot up into the air to avoid damaging the landscape further. The two exchanged a furious storm of punches and kicks in mid-air each blow sending tremors through the clear blue sky. The Super Saiyan found himself pushed to the upper-limit of his first form's power to keep up with his students natural strength, but despite the strain he was spectacularly excited.

Saike's leg connected with Goku's own in a powerful simultaneous kick, the combined power of their attack actually knocking the two away fro each other. Saike recovered first and lunged at his master, burying his fist into Goku's gut with enough force to make the Super Saiyan's eyes bulge from his head.

His fist moved up like a scarlet blur, striking Goku in the nose and making his head jerk back a few inches. Saike quickly caught his masters arm as his whole body recoiled, and then spun him around in a fast-paced Dragon Throw before flinging Goku down to the ground.

Goku's body struck the hill, the smashing blow kicking up a deep crater of dirt. Goku leapt back to his feet, mildly injured, and he was soon shooting back up into the air as a golden streak of light as if nothing had happened at all. He cupped his hands at his hips, a childlike grin crossing his face "Ka...Me...Ha...Me..."

He suddenly vanished into thin air, whisked away by Instant Transmission, and then he instantaneously reappeared behind Saike. Just as his apprentice turned to face him, Goku yelled out a resounding **"HA!"** that sent the burst of blue ki exploding against Saike's body and sent him hurtling into a thick grove of trees on the mountainside.

A large explosion burst around Saike when he hit the earth, a dome of heat and light destroying several of the trees surrounding him. Saike hopped to his feet, slightly pained, but as soon as he was up again Goku rematerialised in front of him. The Super Saiyan socked Saike in the jaw with enough force to send him crashing into the grasslands around Mount Paozu, his body forming a deep trench as it carved into the earth.

Saike's body flipped up, smashing through one large boulder, and he right himself just in time to catch Goku's fist. He twisted his mentors wrist in a painful fashion, making Goku suck air in through his teeth.

It was at that moment he noticed something very wrong. Half of Saike's face had a crack in it, one of his eyes a glowing gold shade. Just like Janemba's.

Goku let out a pained yell as Saike's fist sent him roaring up into the air, the force of the blow unlike anything he had ever felt during their training together. The possessed youth leapt up, hammering Goku's torso with a flurry of powerful punches, his speed boosted by his rapidly increasing power, to the point where Goku couldn't even see most of the incoming attacks.

The leg of his apprentice shot forth, his knee lodging itself firmly in Goku's solar plexus and sending him hurtling backward through the air. His body spun and tumbled through the air, but he managed to stop his ascent just as Saike flew at him, cackling as he pulled one powerful fist back.

Another burst of golden light, followed by a web of blue lightning, suddenly exploded around Goku's body as he transformed again. He caught Saike's fist mid-punch, grunting from the exertion it took to hold the demon boys wrist in place.

"Saike...Calm. Down." the Super Saiyan said sternly, lightning crackling around his body in an increased volume. For a moment he feared his words unheard, Goku saw that madness on Saike's face quite clearly.

But then, slowly but surely, realisation dawned on the young onis face and he slowly lowered his fist. His aura dispersed and the crack in his face closed up. "Oh god...master Im so sorry..." he said, quickly bowing his head.

Goku breathed a sigh of relief and powered down to his base form "It's fine. But Bulma's birthday party is tomorrow, so you need to control yourself better." he suddenly wrapped an arm around Saike's neck and pulled him into a firm headlock "Come on then. Pretty sure we still have some lemonade in the fridge!"

"Ngh...Okay..." Saike murmured, wriggling in Goku's firm headlock.

* * *

"I care for my daughter, of course. And I certainly want to try being a better father than my own you understand." Frieza said, pacing about on the shores of the nodded in understanding, and then Frieza continued "I suppose the problem lies moreso with Zangya."

Inyon cocked her head to one side, eyeing Frieza with one raised brow "How do you mean? I thought you guys were, ya know. Conjoined at the crotch."

The Arcosian pinched the bridge of his nose "That's what I needed to hear...Yes we have a physical relationship, but we don't have that degree of relationship you have with the bandit, or that Goku has with his own mate."

Inyon hummed in thought when she heard that. The sound of wings flapping overhead drew her gaze, a large bird taking to the skies over the duo. She took aim with her fingers, an explosion of light suddenly caught the vulture, burning the feathers off and cooking it to a crispy golden brown. It fell to earth, and the ebony Saiyaness quickly caught it in one hand and started to tear into the cooked meat with her strong jaws.

Frieza wrinkled his nose in disgust and then Inyon continued talking in between bites of meat "What? Im hungry...Anyway, tell me more about these relationship issues of yours. What's got you so bummed about the Heran?"

"Well...When we first started to see each other it made sense to us. We seemed similar in many respects, reformed villains who had been pawns to a much more powerful overlord. That was what led to us becoming closer in the first place." Frieza began, scratching his neck as he spoke "Over time though, I feel as though we've been drifting apart. We're simply turning into two different people it seems..."

The towering Saiyaness lazily slurped some meat from her kills ribcage, nodding slowly in understanding. She wiped her mouth with the back of her gauntlet to clean the grease from her face and then she spoke again "So...why are you two clinging together then?"

Frieza shrugged "Well...we're still friends. With benefits on occasion .." he trailed off into a murmur and then regained his normal volume of speaking "She doesn't really want to go exploring in space again, and I suppose I share the feeling. Earth is nice, and for the most part it has a better climate than Arcos."

"Still doesn't answer the question Frisbee." Inyon replied. She tossed the stripped skeleton away into the glimmering lakewater and looked back to the ivory alien.

"Right right..." Frieza trailed off, a small sigh escaping him. "We...Want to make sure Glace has a steady upbringing. She has a great degree of strength and we need to guarantee that she is stable." Frieza explained.

Inyon smacked her lips, lazily circling Frieza "Well...I ain't no expert on feelings...In fact I'm pretty sure I'm what people on this planet call a 'sociopath'...But I suppose I can give you some advice. Or advice that I will think will work, at least."

Frieza gave a small nod of understanding "Well tell me what you have in mind."

"Well...if you wanna make sure Glace grows up happy, you two will prolly have to put up that charade of bein' in love until she's...I dunno, 15? 18? Well either way, you and Zangya gotta keep that up, and then you can...I dunno, just be friends after everything's settled with her."

The Arcosian nodded response, and then he took a seat on the same rock Inyon had been using earlier "And what about my lack of passion on earth?"

Inyon pulled herself up beside him, the difference in height between them becoming more apparent "Keep training would be my guess. There're always gonna be people threatening earth, and we'll need to be ready for it.."

"So devote time between becoming stronger and bein' a dad. Works for Kakahead." Inyon said.

"Who?"

"Goku. I mean Goku." the ebony Super Saiyan replied.

"Ah." Frieza said, nodding in understanding. He smiled at Inyon and then gave her a clap on the shoulder "You've been a great friend to me all these years. I see no harm in following your advice."

Inyon beamed with pride "Thanks! Nobody ever takes my advice, because it's 'weird' or 'the logic is impossible.' but you always give me a shot."

The duo lapsed into a silence and watched the clouds overhead "Are you going to be at Bulma's party tomorrow?" Frieza asked.

Inyon nodded enthusiastically "You better believe it! Free beers man. And are you gonna be there?"

"Well, yes. It will be fun I suppose. And really, what's the worst thing that can happen?" he asked, smiling.

Inyon suddenly hopped up, her eyes focusing onto something in the air as if she just found lost treasure. "Birds! A big flock of 'em right over there! Thank fuck, I am still hungry! You wanna get some of 'em with me?"

Frieza's nose slowly wrinkled in disgust at just the prospect "No no...that's okay, you go and get your...food."

"More for me!" The insane Saiyan said gleefully, before leaping off the boulder with enough force to shatter the stone, and then she was cackling an hurtling toward the flock of birds in the sky.

The Arcosian couldn't help but smirk at that. Everything would be fine, nothing could possibly go wrong during the party tomorrow.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, Battle of Gods begins!...As soon as I see a decent recording of the film at least. The internet just keeps deciding to disappoint me.

Oh yeah, I decided to give Goku is End of Z outfit earlier. That blue gi is the shit, much better than the orange one.

**-kamil88: even if you wont do GT, will you include Pan in this fanfic? And, if yes, will she be more anime like, or more like from GT Revised fanfic?**

Well I plan on ending this with the world tournament from the end of Z, so Pan will appear there in her brief manga incarnation.

**-Apope: Hirudegarn etc.?And why no GT?And,I assure you,there's a lot more to adapt than only that:Neko Majin,DBO etc.**

**And won't we be seeing Old Kai and the Z Sword?**

I hate Hirudegarn, I don't have the interest to bother with GT (And the Janemba and Raichi arcs are too similar to the Super 17 and Baby Vegeta storylines for me to want to bother writing them). I haven't seen Neko Majin or DBO, and quite frankly I couldn't care less about them.

And how is it so difficult to realise, that not a single aspect of the Buu saga will appear in this story?

**-Secundum: Will Buu ever appear again? Even as a pod floating through space?**

No. For the one millionth time, Buu will not appear in this story.

**-Imaginatrix: Maybe I've been reading too many Naruto fics lately, but this vaguely reminded me of that series. xD**

Eh, in all honesty I hate Naruto. I based this off of Uub's brief role in GT, where the angrier he got the more like Kid Buu he became.

**-jcogginsa: well if ya don't want to wait, there's always the hirudegarne saga**

Nah...didn't like the Hirudegarn movie all that much, especially compared to Fusion Reborn.


	52. Awake

Four years have passed since the battle with Janemba. While normal earthlings had to worry about economics and politics, they at the very least didn't need to worry about cosmic monsters trying to devour them all.

But unfortunately, the universe will never be entirely at peace. The gods will go about their business, regardless of how it effects the mortals. That was a lesson King Kai learned the hard way when the last Kaioshin in the universe, and his manservant, arrived on his recently restored planet with some very bad news.

A worried frown crossed King Kai's face as he listened to the Supreme Kai, a short and handsome blue-skinned humanoid with a white mohawk, tell his story. Once he was finished, the portly blue deity nervously paced the green grass of his mini-planet "And there's nothing we can do to prevent this? To buy for time."

The Supreme Kai shook his head "I only wish we could. Sadly this is something that even I have no control over." He reached up for the navy collar of his garish raiment "Bills is waking up, sooner than we had anticipated. His strength dwarfes our own."

Kibito, a tall and wrinkled figure with red skin, gave a small shake of his head "I just know there has to be some special reason for this early awakening. How many worlds do you suppose he will annihilate before he goes back to sleep again?"

"Who can say?" Supreme Kai replied with a small shrug of his shoulders "Bills chooses to destroy worlds he has a general disdain for, even for the smallest slights. From my understanding, he chose Frieza to destroy Planet Vegeta simply because he didn't like the natives. King Vegeta in particular."

King Kai snorted "It was just another excuse for Frieza to destroy the Saiyans. He already had an entire list of reasons written up, and a threat from the God of Destruction was the perfect incentive for him to do it." A sudden realisation hit King Kai when he thought of Frieza and the Saiyan race "Oh dear...I'll have to avoid telling Goku about Bills."

"Goku? That Saiyan student that you're so proud of?"

The portly deity nodded his head and grunted "Goku is the sort of guy who always looks out for strong opponents, he lives for the fight...But even he, one of the strongest men in the universe, would stand no chance against Bills..." King Kai adjusted his sunglasses and then wiped some beads of nervous sweat from his jowly face. He could just imagine it now..

_'God of Destruction? Wow! That guy sounds really strong King Kai! I'm gonna totally disregard any warnings you give me about how dangerously powerful this guy is, and I'm gonna fight him anyway! Because I never listen to anything my brilliant and wise martial arts master has to say!'_

"He's gonna' go after Bills if he hears about him, and then he'll have the floor wiped with him. And Bills will likely be pissed off at him and destroy the earth out of spite..." King Kai let out an exasperated sigh. Even all together, earth's greatest warriors wouldn't be much sport for Bills.

"What do you propose we do, Supreme Kai?"Kibito asked, tossing an uncertain glance to his shorter master.

Supreme Kai frowned, visibly unhappy about the course of action they had to take "As callous as this is going to sound...We need to keep out of his way and let him go about his business. We can't stop him, and our attempt to fight him would just cause more collateral damage."

He was right, it did sound callous. But this was a being that had far more power than anything else in the universe, and enraging Bills would just lead to him destroying far more worlds in his anger. _'I just hope he steers clear of the humans. Goku dying again is the last thing I need to deal with.'_

* * *

Bills temple was an alien structure, floating suspended in a celestial plane beneath a golden bed of clouds. The temple was an ivory structure built into the side of a mountain sized tree atop an upside down purple pyramid. Several moons floated about the celestial structure, miniature worlds that had been put in place by the Hakaishin himself.

When one saw Bills himself, one would not think of him as a deity of any kind. He was a tall and somewhat scrawny anthropomorphic jackal, covered from head to toe in purple fur. His ears were tall and erect, almost like a pair of rabbit ears. At present, he was sleeping atop one floating rock and snoring in an obnoxious fashion, dressed in a white bathrobe.

Several alarm clocks started ringing through Bills' vast sleeping chamber, the noise echoing throughout the entire structure. Bills kept on snoring.

A tall and slender figure quickly made his way into the chamber, the butt of his long blue staff clacking against the floor with every step. He was dressed in some truly bizarre clothing, a red robe that stopped at his knees, in addition to a tight red undersuit. Above this he wore a black vestment with broad shoulder pads and a long tongue that reached down to his waist. His skin was pale blue, his hair was white and flicked upright like a curl on ice cream. This was Whis, and he had been a companion to Bills for millennia now.

Whis drifted up into the air, annoyance painted onto his face. "Bill, wake up." he ordered once he landed on the same floating rock as the Hakaishin. Bills grunted in response. "If you don't wake up now, I'll be forced to start singing."

That got him up like a light, yelping in shock "DON'T YOU DARE!" Bill snapped, glaring at his fellow god. His ears drooped slightly , annoyed for being disturbed from his slumber "What'd you wake me for...?"

"You asked me to wake you up at this time." Whis answered curtly.

"I did? Why the hell would I do something so stupid?" Bills stomach suddenly growled, the noise echoing off the dimly lit sandstone walls "Ugh...hold that thought...Food first..."

The duo made their way into Bills' dining hall, a long room with a massive table weighed down by food, and faintly glowing aquarium behind the table. Bills sat down in one floating stone chair, and started to rapidly nibble on some fresh fish. The bizarre nature of this divine structure meant that food would never spoil.

"Sho..." Bills began through a mouthful of food "Did um...Did Frieza blow up Planet Vegeta like I told him to?" He took another chomp, stripping more flesh from the fishes bones. Whis nodded, bringing a smile to the jackal's face "Mm, good. I never liked the Saiyans. I particularly didn't like King Vegeta and his ugly beard. I just never cared enough to blow that ugly planet up myself."

He lazily tossed the fish skeleton over his shoulder and let it clatter to the polished floor "Come to think of it, I never liked Frieza much either. I should blow him up next. Where is that little dwarf nowadays?"

The black sphere at the head of Whis' staff suddenly released an eerie green light. A circular portal formed above the sphere, a window into the past. "Frieza is still alive, but his defeat at the hands of a Super Saiyan brought him down a road to redemption." A series of images rapidly flashed through the circle: Frieza's battle against Goku on Namek, the fight with Broly, a rematch between Goku on Frieza on earth, and then the two relaxing on the ice after Dr. Raichi's defeat.

"It seems that Frieza and this 'Goku' are now friends. Both of them reside on earth." Whis explained.

Bills snorted at the notion "Redemption for Frieza? What a ridiculous notion." he remarked dryly. He reached over to one steaming chicken on the table, and he quickly tore one drumstick off and began to munch on the meat "Shtill...Fighting Friesha and a Shuper Shaiyan might be a good way to kill the time..." he remarked in between bites of chicken.

His eyes widened, and the god of destruction quickly hopped onto his hands and knees in his floating stone seat "Wait a minute...Earth...that name sounds kinda familiar..." The purple jackal reached for his chin and scratched it in thought.

There was a sudden shift in the aquarium behind him as one school of alien fish swam about behind him, sending small shudders through the dining hall. "Fish...fish fish fish..." Bills murmured. He snapped his fingers in a sudden realisation "Oracle Fish! I wanted to be woken up early because of his predictions!"

The Hakaishin snapped his fingers again, this time a puff of smoke above his hand. Bills reached into the smoke ad from it he pulled a golden scepter with what looked like a fishbowl atop it "Hey, Oracle Fish, I'm talking to you! Come out here!"

The water in the miniature fishbowl rippled and a shape formed from the liquid, a fish comprised entirely of water with ridiculous googly eyes and sausage lips. The creature made a odd warbling noise, and then he spoke up "I was having a stroll...what's up Lord Bills?"

"39 years ago you told me that the ultimate warrior would appear on earth. A being with enough power to challenge even me." Bills replied.

"Wha-...? Did I say that?"

"You did, didn't you?"

"Hm...Well I guess I must have said that then." Oracle Fish concluded.

Whis gave a small roll of his eyes as he watched the two. _'Splendid. A god of destruction that can't take anything seriously, and an oracle that can't remember his own predictions. Truly, I won the lottery of life.'_

Bills leapt out of his carved stone seat and pointed a finger at the blue-skinned humanoid "`You heard the magic fish! Let's head for earth and see if I can draw this 'ultimate warrior' out...as soon as I put on some proper clothing."

"Probably for the best." Whis began, following after the purple jackal "The last time you wore that robe out in public, it was a windy day and there were many traumatised children."

"You're never going to let that go are you?!" Bills snapped.

The walk to Bills' dressing chamber was brief, and the jackal quickly rooted around for some more godly attire. He pulled on a golden choker and then a black and purple collar that draped over his shoulders. He slipped golden bands over his wrists and wrapped a dark blue sash around his waist. He decided to leave his chest uncovered.

He pulled on some pale blue trousers that stopped above his ankles, and then he stepped into some dark brown moccasins. "You know where earth is, right?" Bills asked as he slipped a black tongue under his belt, the tongue with two white diamonds and one red diamond

"Of course. I have a lock on the highest power levels on the planet." Whiss replied. He placed a hand on one of Bills' shoulders "And try to control yourself for five minutes." he remarked, before the duo vanished into thin air.

* * *

An air of festivity surrounded the Capsule Corp building, the various members of the Z-gang gathered in the vast and lush garden to celebrate Bulma's birthday (Not that the heiress had disclosed her age to anyone present.)

Guests stood about and mingled, exchanging small talk and stories of the old days. Everyone had been invited, even Dende and Popo who sat beside Piccolo and lazily drank some waters. On another portion of the garden, Goku and Vegeta arm-wrestled while their drunken wives cheered them on.

Gohan and Saike were slugging back glasses of wine, while Videl seemed to be abstaining form drinking entirely. Inyon, Yamcha, Launch and Tien kept conversing, while the towering Saiyan female continued eating an inhuman portion of food.

Frieza stood on the grass with a glass of Chianti in his hand while he watched the children. They simply couldn't be trusted on their own. "How're they doing?" Zangya asked, as if appearing behind him. Frieza sensed her coming of course.

"Hm? Oh not too bad. They're getting more mature I suppose, but they're a long way away from being ready to protect the earth." Frieza replied.

Zangya eyed him curiously. Frieza was being quite curt with her as of late "So...what's wrong? Don't give me that look, I know when there's something eating you."

Frieza gave a low exhale and thought about what he could say next "I'd rather not speak of it in public." he replied.

"Then say it quietly." said Zangya.

Frieza took a long gulp of chianti before lowering his glass "Very well then." he glanced toward the Heran "What are we doing?" he asked "I know it's unlikely we'll ever 'love' each other, so is our daughter the only reason we stay together?" he asked in a barely audible whisper.

Zangya mulled the question over, before giving a small shrug "I suppose Glace is the main reason. Our affection to each other certainly waxes and wanes, but we do both love that girl. So we do what we can to give her a good upbringing." She gave him a devilish grin "And the rent-free spaceship is a nice addition."

The former lord of the galaxy eyed her curiously "And you like living on Earth?" he asked.

"Sure, what's not to like? Some nice scenery, mildly-intelligent natives...Better than my planet, that one's been blown to hell." Zangya replied. She glanced to Glace, watching as she sparred with Vegeta's son Trunks "And Glace likes it too."

"Mm, yes. She's been pestering me to pick up a cat for her. A tiger, to be specific...Of course I'm reluctant, Midgyo gets nervous around any kind of feline." The two shared a laugh at the Litt doctor's expense while he was halfway across the garden and out of earshot. "Anyway, I've been thinking of heading back to Arcos for a bit and showing Glace the planet. I'm sure she'd appreciate the trip."

"Ah yes, because what tween wouldn't like to visit a frozen death planet?" Zangya joked

Frieza scowled at her "It is not a 'death planet.' I do so loathe when people use that term." Frieza grunted "It's just...a planet that makes life difficult to thrive on..."

The orange-haired alien gave a small chuckle at his expense before continuing to speak "Well if you want to show it to her, go ahead. Might be a nice cultural experience."

Before Frieza could reply, there was a sudden shift in the wind that caught the attention of those that could sense ki. Two newcomers to the party who stood in the centre of the vast green garden. "Ooooh, such a pretty planet." Bills remarked, moving his gaze about.

Vegeta halted his arm-wrestling match with Goku and shot a terrified glance toward the tall purple jackal. Frieza's eyes widened and his glass fell from his hands. These two knew full well who this being was, and what his presence would mean for Earth.

They had both encountered Bills before, both seen mere fractions of his fierce strength. And they knew he wasn't called 'The God of Destruction' for no good reason.

"WOO! New guests to the party!" A rather drunken Bulma exclaimed.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so the internet has failed me. No recordings of BoG come to mind, so I'm using summaries of the film to create the next few chapters. I know this isn't ideal, and likely it won't be fully canon compliant, but I feel I should get started before I lose interest entirely.

Soooo this fic recently got a review on TvTropes. Kind of harsh, but I do agree with a lot of the reviewers points. Looking back I'm actually kind of embarrassed by the first half of the story. I realise I'm no Tolkien, but I write this for fun, not because I'm trying to get it published. Why should I take it so seriously?

As a whole I am losing interest in writing this fic...but it does seem popular to alot of folks so I owe it to them to finish writing this. Not too many chapters left, trust me.

**-Guest: Did you ever think about having the z-fighters' descendants face off against caterpy's ultimate form in the far future?**

Caterpy was the guy from the Other World Tournament, right? Nah, he likely won't appear. I have a very clear end point in mind for this story.

**-Crimson-Wyvern: For how long do you think the Fanfiction will go on ?**

Um...Honestly it's hard to predict. I figure maybe 4 for BoG, and then one big concluding chapter at the world martial arts tournament.

**TJ the beastion: and you never mention the other three who came with Frieza to earth, it's been so long I can't even remember their names, I hope to see them soon.**

Sadly that's the problem with such a large cast. Plus, given the nature of Dragon Ball, you can't do much wth non-fghting characters (Bulma being the exeption.)

**Animeman12: Hmm... What about Bio-Broly? Would it be possible to include that? Though you would have to include the prequel...**

The original Broly got blown up on New Vegeta, which was then destroyed by Paragus' comet. He won't be getting cloned any time soon.

**Snerdermer: Don't be hating the Orange gi man, that makes Goku who he is, its part of his character.**

The blue gi is just more appealing to me. Probably because it barely got to be used compared to the orange one.


	53. Jerkass God

_Age 737_

_Frieza reclined in his hovering bubble chair, flanked on both sides by Zarbon and Dodoria. His ruby eyes focused on the purple feline standing before him, his plump lips formed into a long frown. "I don't recall inviting you in here." Frieza remarked dryly. And that was true enough, Bills hadn't been invited...Instead, the Hakaishin had smashed his way into Frieza's flying saucer and then headed to the Arcosians private quarters._

_"Ordinarily, a god of destruction doesn't need permission to go anywhere. He can go where he pleases." Bills replied flashing Frieza a toothy grin. Frieza couldn't help but smirk at that...Nobody in the galaxy was stronger than Frieza, save for his father of course. This long-eared freak was no god._

_"The last time I checked, gods weren't supposed to look like overgrown felines." Frieza remarked dryly "You have some nerve barging in here. I'm the emperor of this galaxy you fool. And do you have any idea how much it will cost for me to repair the damage to my ship...? And to recruit new soldiers to replace the ones that got sucked into space?"_

_Bills shrugged "Don't know, don't care." he replied in a disinterested tone "I'm not here to talk on your problems, I'm here because I want you to do something for me."_

_Frieza could stand a person damaging his ships. He couldn't care less if some of his men died, there were millions more at his disposal. But when someone had the audacity to try and give him an order? Well he simply wouldn't abide that. An enraged vein grew on his white brow, and Frieza lazily dragged a finger up one of his pointed ebony horns "Zarbon, Dodoria, kill this wretch."_

_"Of course, Lord Frieza." Zarbon said coolly._

_"Hehe...I'm gonna make a rug out of this one..." Dodoria growled._

_Zarbon and Dodoria, like two well trained attack dogs, leapt to atta__ck at their masters command. These two aliens had power levels well above average, had killed thousands of warriors and conquered dozens of worlds to appease Frieza. Yet to a being such as Bills, they posed no more a threat than an ant._

_With one lazy swipe of his tail, Bills struck Dodoria into one metal wall with enough trength to dent the flabby alien into the wall and knock him unconscious. In the span of 1.57 seconds, Bills closed the distance between Zarbon and himself. He raised a hand up and then jabbed his fingers upward like a spear, striking a pressure point in Zarbon's chest. The effeminate alien gagged in pain, and then doubled over on the floor, unconscious._

_Frieza had begun to rise from his hover chair as soon as he saw Zarbon fall. But even the emperor of the galaxy, a being feared in an almost biblical fashion by many ciilizations, was insignificant compared to a God of Destruction._

_The Hakaishin seemed to close the distance almost instantaneously, his purple digits wrapping around Frieza's neck. He shot forward and pinned Frieza to the metal wall, the whole flying saucer lurching when Frieza's body struck the wall. Bills maintained a strong enough grip to keep Frieza restrained, but not hard enough to cut off the circulation or stop Frieza from speaking._

_Frieza struggled in vain against the vice-like grip around his throat, his nails digging into Bills' hand in an attempt to pry the fingers away from his neck. Growing desperate, Frieza released a burst of telekinetic power that tore up the metal floorboards of the chamber and even managed to knock Zarbon and Dodoria's limp bodies across the room. Bills was unmoved._

_By now, Frieza was feeling a combination of grand rage and a growing sense of fear. "D-damn you...Release me! I'll skin you alive!" the Arcosian prince snarled. His eyes glowed bright red, and then a flaming burst of ki exploded from his eyes. The red light reflected off the remaining metal on the walls and floor, setting the whole chamber aglow with red and orange light as the eyebeams engulfed Bills' lanky frame._

_As the beams died down, smoke slowly rippled off of Bills body. Not a single strand of purple fur had been burnt in the slightest. A cocky smirk slowly tugged at the Hakaishin's face "Well, are you finally done with your little tantrum, mini-emperor?"_

_His fist rapidly struck Frieza in the gut, smashing clean through the purple plates of his armoured vest and hitting his stomach. Frieza's eyes bulged from his head and a spray of vomit and blood shot past his lips, hitting the floor. While he couldn't sense ki, Frieza was quickly learning that this creature might just be the god he claimed to be._

_"Bastard...you bastard...!" Frieza managed to sputter out "You'll pay for this indignation! I swear it!"_

_Bills slowly shook his head "No, I won't." Frieza briefly thought about transforming, but there were some heavy risks to that. If his body began to grow, the force around his throat would tighten and likely crush his neck...Not a very dignified end. "Now then, listen rather carefully, I want you to do something for me. Destroy the Saiyans."_

_"Why should I do that? They might be ugly smelly dung-throwing monkeys, but they're MY ugly smelly dung-throwing monkeys!" Frieza snarled in response._

_"If you don't, I will make you watch as I personally destroy every last fragment of your empire." He was dead serious, his voice colder and harsher than the grave. This being, this god, sounded to serious and so confident that Frieza knew that this was no empty threat. "I have a personal loathing for King Vegeta and want his race gone. But oh it's such a trek over to that monkey planet that I don't want to make the journey. You're going to do it for me."_

_He released his gri on Frieza's neck, and the Arcosian hit the floor with a loud thud. Frieza forced himself up onto his hands and knees, coughing and gagging in pain, but he was in no shape to make another move. "You have 48 hours to blow up Planet Vegeta. Don't make me come after you, 'your highness.'"_

_With that the Hakaishin turned and left, heading for the hole in the ship he had recently created. Frieza did what was asked of him. He had hoped that he could extract more use from the Saiyans before he wiped them out, but the attack by the god had compelled him to put his plan into motion much sooner than anticipated._

* * *

That same sense of impotence and helplessness he felt all those years ago all flooded back to Frieza here and now, staring at the god who had invaded his spaceship. Why was he here? What could he possibly want now?

The Arcosian stood transfixed, watching Vegeta's wife drunkenly stagger toward Bills and the blue-figure that stood beside him...he certainly wasn't there when Frieza last saw Bills.

"What's up?" Zangya asked, looking between Frieza and the purple feline. "You look like you just saw a ghost man."

"Worse than a ghost..." Frieza murmured under his breath "...a god. A mad, demented, powerful god." Frieza tried to put his ki sensing to the test, to see if Bills was still a threat to him...But for some reason, the energy reading that Bills gave off was fuzzy and impossible to determine.

Bills eyed Bulma curiously. No real power level on this one, obviously she wasn't a warrior. "Yoo...Always great to welcome new guests to the party! You must be some of Goku's friends from that cloud place!" she drawled out, her face aglow with a drunken blush.

Whis nodded in a stiff manner "Yes, that's correct." It was a lie, obviously, but Whis spoke with so little emotion and his expression was so unreadable that it was impossible to tell as much.

"This is Whis. I'm Bills, professional deity." Bills chimed in, adjusting his long ears. It didn't take long to spot the Vegeta, the spitting image of his father save for his lack of a beard and a different suit of armour. It took only a little longer to notice Frieza, as he looked so different in his fourth form.

"Ooh~? A god? Well for a god, you're really shabbily dressed. Heehee! Man, parachute pants went out of date before I was even born." Bulma said in between snorts of laughter. Bills seemed unamused, his smile quickly fading.

Luckily Vegeta reached her, laughing nervously and getting between his wife and the purple-furred beast "Ah Bulma, there you are! And it seems you've met Bills, how delightful!" he said hastily, trying to turn Bulma and move her away from the deity.

Bills smile quickly returned to his muzzle "Well well, if it isn't little Vegeta. All grown up...But not by a whole lot." Bills mocked, pressing the side of one hand to Vegeta's forehead. If anyone else had mocked his height, Vegeta would have exploded...but he knew Bills all too well, had a deep rooted fear of the Hakaishin.

He hadn't seen Bills since he was a child. It was about two years before his homeworld's destruction and he had been exploring the palace in search of his father. Turning one corner he saw his father, the second strongest being that Vegeta knew, casually pinned under the jackal's foot. The young Vegeta could only watch his father struggle, while Bills glanced at the cowering Saiyan boy...and smiled.

There were many memories and images that were firmly engraved in Vegeta's mind, and that was one of them.

"Bills...bills bills bills...Did you do the tax returns...?" Bulma slurred as Vegeta hastily led her toward one of the tables.

"Woman, you know I can't understand that garbage you call the economy..." Vegeta grumbled. He tossed a quick glance toward Bills and Whis "Feel free to have a seat, maybe grab some food and drink. We're nothing if not great hosts!" he called out, forcing a smile onto his face. Seeing Vegeta smiling, well that was very odd behaviour, and it caused Goku to get up and head his way.

Frieza and Goku reached Vegeta at the same time. Goku looked curious, while Frieza was displaying the same degree of fear as Vegeta "We have a rather large problem now..." said Frieza.

Vegeta nodded grimly "Believe me, I'm aware. This is a being who wipes out solar systems for a living, we need to keep him happy so he doesn't obliterate the earth."

"Wha-? Obliterate the earth? Just who is this guy?" Goku asked. He looked over to Bills, who was busily chewing on some chicken. A twinge of annoyance crossed the Saiyan's face, wishing he could fully read this being's power.

"He's called Bills. He's a god of destruction." Frieza explained.

"A god...?" Goku trailed off, tapping a finger to his chin "You mean a god like King Kai?"

"No, not like that fat blue clown!" Vegeta snapped, grinding his teeth as he recalled King Kai's incompetence during the Raichi fiasco "An actual god, with divine power at his disposal."

Vegeta could see that look on Goku's face, his eyes widening and his mouth forming into a big stupid grin "A-a god? Wow, he sounds really strong! I'm gonna ask him to fi-" Vegeta suddenly gripped the shoulder straps of Goku's blue gi, rapidly jerking the low-class Saiyan by the shoulders.

"Listen. To me." Vegeta said sternly "Don't pick a fight with Bills. God knows how many people will die if you make him mad. We just need to keep him happy and then maybe we can find out just what he's doing here. Do you understand, Kakarot?"

Goku frowned, but he supposed he should trust Vegeta's judgement on this. He seemed to know who this deity was.

Frieza pursed his lips, trying to think on what would bring Bills to earth. He might well have detected the various power levels here and came looking for a fight. "Do either of you have a suggestion on how to keep him distracted?"

The two full-blooded Saiyans started to think, wondering on what kind of entertainment they could provide a god. Goku's eyes came to rest on Gohan, then they drifted to several bottles of champagne resting on a table. Lastly Goku spotted a microphone set up on the grass "I think I have a plan...I just need you guys to follow my lead."

The Hakaishin meanwhile scanned his gaze over the partygoers. He had gotten strange glances from the other Z-warriors, but most of them just assumed Goku had met both him and Whis at some point in the past and never mentioned it in the past. "As it stands, none of these power levels impress me." Bills remarked, tossing away a chicken bone while he spoke "The oracle fish must have been talking nonsense, no 'ultimate warrior' exists on this world."

Whis slowly sipped on a glass of white wine, his eyes shut as he tried to enjoy the fine vintage. As he lowered the glass from his lips, he politely said "Many of these beings know how to mask their power levels. The Saiyans and the Arcosian can also transform to dramatically increase their strength."

Bills mulled the possibilities over, wondering just how strong these beings could get through transformations. "I'm still unimpressed. Still, perhaps if they all attacked at once th-"

Frieza suddenly zipped past Bills table, moving like a white blur. As he passed by, he dumped a custard pudding onto the table. This seemed to make Bills lose his train of thought, and he quickly leaned in to sniff at the confection. He loudly licked his lips and then started eating.

* * *

As the party went on, Goku was able to continually slip Gohan some glasses of champagne. For someone with Saiyan blood, Gohan was kind of a lightweight when it came to alcohol. After only a few glasses, Goku was able to talk the half-Saiyan into using the microphone for some Karaoke.

Through the use of custard puddings, Frieza had managed to keep Bills busy. The feline had quite a liking for them it seemed, but they were quickly running out of them.

"Hee hee~ Okay okay! I got a really awshum shong in mind! Jusht you...wait you guysh, cause... this'll just knock you guys off your feet. Awesome, gonna be awesome!" Gohan slurred, staggering toward the microphone.

Piccolo seemed to suddenly materialise beside Goku, frowning as he watched Gohan "What's this about Goku?" he asked "You've been acting strange ever since that jackal arrived."

"Long story. Vegeta and Frieza say his some kind of space god, so we need to keep him happy or he'll destroy all of us." Goku explained hastily. By now Gohan was singing, but there was no real song passing his lips. Just a mish-mash of lyrics from various other songs Gohan had heard, every syllable coming out in the wrong key.

Piccolo slowly raised his hands up, and buried his palms into his pointed ears to cover them up. "I believe you." he said simply, before heading to the opposite end of the garden to escape the horrid karaoke.

"Great! See you soon Piccolo!"Goku said, giving the Namekian a quick thumbs up. His stomach suddenly rumbled noisily, and he quickly looked to the tables heaving with food. "Well...A quick snack won't hurt." the Saiyan said, before quickly heading to get some food.

Bills seemed to be enjoying the show, chuckling at Gohan's sheer inability to sing. "I just love clown shows." he said, slowly licking some custard from his lips.

His partner took another slow and steady sip of champagne "I think you may have forgotten what we came here for." Whis said.

"Aaaah...why can't you ever let me have any fun Whis?" the purple jackal asked, flicking one long ear back. Bills suddenly got to his feet and looked for the food table "I'm getting another of those pudding things..." He strolled across the green util he reached the table, and then he started to quickly sniff the air to catch that sweet scent.

He moved up the length of the table until he finally spotted the last custard pudding on the table. Just as he reached one clawed hand out to grab it...only for Goku's hand to swipe it when Bills' hand was mere inches away.

Goku took one large bite of the pudding, while Frieza and Vegeta watched wide-eyed from the other end of the table. Goku noticed Bills beside him and then took two slow chews. "That...Was the last one..." Bills murmured. He started to chuckle and shook his head slowly "You're Goku, right?"

The kind-hearted Saiyan gulped down the msh in his mouth and then answered "Ah...Yeah..." A sense of dread slowly grew inside Goku, he knew something bad was coming.

A faint pink glow slowly came over Bills' body, his aura growing larger with every passing second. "Well congratulations 'Goku', thanks to you your whole planet is going to die!"

* * *

A/N: And this is where the fight starts. For those of you who have read the summaries of the film, this is already diverging from the BoG canon. Notably I'm omitting the Pilaf subplot, seemed kind of unnecessary to the battle with Bills is going to go different too.

**-Storm107: Random stupid question... That is THE Cooler, right? It seems weird to me that the Big Gete Star was able to move his soul into a mechanical body. But I'm not into much sci-fi.**

Well that's ia bit hard to say. The mechanical body was a perfect replica of him, but once the last organic component of Cooler was destroyed his soul was in a kind of limbo. When Porunga made him organic he was given a proper soul again, aware of all that had happened to him with Dr. Raichi.

**- Chaosconetic: I for one say you've done very well for your first major story, well this story and Guardian as well, not to mention your consistent with update, which is a damn difficult thing to do. So in short...**

**Well done**

Aw, thanks. By the way, I want to tell readers here that they should check out your story _**'Old Enemy of Mine.' **_because it is a seriously kick ass story.

**- GhostKing 666: Just so you know, Bills is a cat not a jackal. Just like how Toriyama based Korin's design on his old cat, bills design is based on his newest cat, a Cornish Rex, as well as parts from both Seth and Sekhmet. Being based on a cat is also why he tends to be lazy and lounge around like a cat and has his temple stocked with fish.**

I'm aware that he was primarily based on Toriyama's Cornish Rex. However he does have some elements drawn from Anubis and Egyptian mythology, so I call him a jackal every once in a while.

**-Perfect Carnage: have nothing to say beyond.**

**Bills vs Omega Shenron. Who wins?**

Honestly it's kind of hard to judge. Going by the wiki, Bills was still only using 70% of his power against SSJG Goku. So we don't know the full extent of Bills' abilities. That said, I think Omega would beat him, and Bills at 100% might reach around Super 17's level of strength. Pure speculation, of course.


	54. Godly Might

In the split second Goku had to react, he managed to transform into a Super Saiyan 2 just as Bills' palm struck him in the stomach. The kindhearted Saiyan was flung backward by the force, his body carving a trench into the ground before he flipped up and caught himself "H-he really hits hard!" Goku said, his jaw almost hanging open from the shock.

"Holy moley! That bunny rabbit guy is going berzerk!" Inyon said, swiftly hopping to her feet. The jovial mood of the party died quickly, almost everyone growing tense...Save for Whis, who didn't even seem to be aware that a fight was going on at all, lazily sipping at his wine.

"That's a jackal." Tien said flatly, pulling off his dark green chang pao to reveal his bare, scarred chest. A faint red glow rippled around his body, indicating his latent power.

"It's clearly a big purple cat you guys." Yamcha said, adjusting his white coat and entering into his wolf fighting stance.

"Yamcha, sweetie, I love ya. I really do." Inyon began, rolling up the sleeves of her white blouse "But those are some long ears. It's a fuckin' bunny man. And if anyone opposes that, I will fight them in the street." A golden burst of light exploded around her as she powered up, entering into her first Super Saiyan form.

Across the garden Goku lunged forth, throwing rapid punches and kicks at the purple feline. Even as a Super Saiyan 2, he seemed to be moving in slow motion compared to Bills, the Hakaishin shifting and bending his body around to avoid every punch and kick.

Vegeta and Frieza stood back and watched, both worried over Goku's inevitable defeat, and the fact that an annoyed Bills meant that the planet was effectively doomed. Bills was a remarkably immature being, willing to destroy anything that ticks him off. He was a god, an unstoppable force of nature.

There was a sudden flash, and the purple jackal quickly reappeared behind Goku. He raised his hand up and then lazily flicked Goku in the back, his shocking power sending Goku's body spiraling and crashing across the ground. He bounced along the grass three times, each impact forming a deep crater of dirt.

Just as Bills was about to go after him, Inyon drove at him, her elbow aimed at the deity's temple. He was mildly surprised, but he moved more than fast enough to hop back and dodge the attack. Undeterred, Inyon pressed her attack and released a flurry of high speed punches. Growing bored, Billsrapidly raised his hand and caught Inyon's fist.

Just what the crazy Saiyan wanted.

Her golden aura exploded out, lightning rippled and coursed over her toned muscle as she rapidly shifted into her Super Saiyan 2 form. Her second hand moved up as swiftly as possible, managing to catch Bills off-guard, before she yanked Bills forward and took his feet out from under him.

With Bills briefly off-guard Tien rapidly closed the distance, boosting his speed as high as he could, and then once he was close enough he transferred his ki to his legs to amplify his physical might. His strength increased almost a hundredfold, and he drove his knee up and smashed it into Bills' exposed stomach. Inyon released her grip, and the power of the blow sent the winded deity hurtling straight up into the air.

Yamcha took aim, a glowing ball of golden ki forming in his palm. Then with a loud yell he flung it up, aiming for where Bills was going to be. However, he underestimated Bills' recovering speed, and he quickly adjusted himself and swatted the ki ball down toward the ground with a swift backhand.

Videl's eyes widened, seeing that the blast was going to hit Bulma at it's current trajectory. The dark-haired girl leapt up and rapidly dashed across the green, grabbing Bulma once she was close enough. She leapt again, hoping to put more distance between the two and the incoming explosion. However once the energy ball hot, the backlash of the explosion hit the two women and sent them skidding across the grass.

Watching his wife, the mother of his life, hit the dirt in pain like that, made something snap inside Vegeta. That bastard, that arrogant immature god, very nearly destroyed one of the few people the Prince nearly cared for. Images of his injured father flashed before his mind, how he had failed to save him from Bills in the past...No, not again! He wouldn't allow it!

A loud, thundering roar passed Vegeta's lips, his golden aura exploding outward as he transformed into a Super Saiyan 2, his rage boosting his power to almost absurd heights. "V-Vegeta..." Goku stammered out, clearly shocked at the massive ki increase. The prince shot forward like a golden comet, past Yamcha, Inyon and Tien as he drove his body up into the sky.

Vegeta's fist hit Bills' jaw with a shocking degree of force and speed, the shockwave behind the attack rumbling across the ground below. His fists rapidly hammered into Bills' gut, each strike jerking the Hakaishin's body backward and keeping him winded and incapable of making a response or forming a counter attack.

Vegeta moved swiftly, fueled by rage and adrenaline, and promptly jammed his knee into Bills' gut. The impact made Bills' eyes bulge out slightly, keeping him dazed long enough for Vegeta to charge some ki into his fist "Never..,harm my wife again!" Vegeta yelled at the top of his lungs, driving his fist forward and striking Bills in his face again. The ki in his knuckles amplified his striking force considerably, creating an explosive blast that sent Bills' soaring off onto the horizon.

Vegeta's body slowly slumped down, panting for breath after the extensive and tiring assault he just released "Ngh...Well...It seems I can still get stronger." he grunted. He had pushed his body far further than he thought he could, using only his Super Saiyan 2 form he had managed to output a power that managed to just barely surpass Goku's Super Saiyan 3 form, or at least for a short while. Most impressive. Rage was quite the booster in combat it would seem.

He quickly looked down to Goku and Frieza "Come on you clowns! I want that cat as far away from the city as possible!" He quickly pointed at his son "And you! Stay here with the other children and don't interfere in this!" With that he took off again. Inyon quickly took off after him, followed by Piccolo, Android 18, Zangya and the human warriors.

Goku wiped some blood off his lip and then turned his attention to the dumbstruck Frieza "Come on, let's get moving. I don't wanna miss out on the chance to battle a god!" He quickly looked to Gohan staggering towards them "You sober up and then come join us. You're no good to us if you're drunk off your head."

The Arcosian cleared his throat, composing himself after seeing Vegeta's brief yet shocking increase in might. "Yes...Well...I suppose we'll have to make some sort of effort to stop that monster from destroying the earth." His body glowed white, the ground shifting and cracking beneath him as his body began to morph. Then, with another flash of white light, he shifted into his first Super Arcosian form. His mouth piece clamped into place and his ruby eyes locked onto Goku's turquoise ones "Let's go."

While Frieza and Goku took off after their other allies, Dende moved over to Videl and Buma, using his healing magic to undoo the bruises the two had gotten from the explosion. He paused and raised a brow, focusing his attention on Videl "I'm...sensing two life forces from you."

Videl's eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly made sure that Gohan wasn't in earshot. "I haven't told Gohan yet, but...I'm pregnant. He's the father, and...well I've been trying to work up the courage to tell him." she explained in a hushed tone.

Dende nodded slowly in understanding "I see. My people just spit out eggs."

* * *

Bills had come to a halt above a large snowy mountain range, grunting as he rubbed his cheek "Well, the little prince packs a punch...He caught me off guard, but he won't match my full power." he mused, slowly lowering himself down until he landed on one wide snowy plain.

Vegeta, Inyon and Piccolo landed several metres in front of him, snow slowly and steadily shifting around their auras. Then Android 18 and Zangya landed, followed by the various human warriors. Then Goku and Frieza warped in through Instant Transmission, with Saike gripping onto Goku's shoulder. "This is your last chance to give up and go home Bills. We don't have to spill blood over some desert." Goku said.

Bills grit his teeth and lowered into a fighting stance. "It's a matter of respect, Saiyan. You disrespected me, a god, so I think I'll destroy your world as punishment."

"Hmph. He's quite like you, Frieza. Immature and thinks too highly of himself." Vegeta scoffed. Frieza seemed to visibly bristle at the remark, but he caught himself before he could have any sort of outburst. This was neither the time nor the place for an argument.

Bills shot forward so fast that he vanished from sight entirely, rapidly reappearing beside Vegeta and smacking him across the face with such force that he was sent crashing into one large mound of snow. Frieza lunged forward, rapidly burying his fist into Bills' ribs and causing the Hakaishin to skid back through the snow before he slammed his knee into Frieza's face, launching him back and causing him to crash down flat on his back.

Goku leapt over and drove both of his feet into Bills' back, the power of the blow making him stagger forward and drive face-first into Yamcha's outstretched fist. Of course, even with his strength amped up, Yamcha's physical strikes only managed to mildly annoy the deity.

Bills drove the index and middle finger of his right hand forward, striking a precise point on Yamcha's abdomen. The former bandit lurched forward, coughing and gagging as he seemed to lose control of his arms and legs, collapsing onto the snow on his side.

The purple feline quickly adjusted his stance, the gathered Z-warriors trying to rush him at once. A loud yell escaped his fanged maw, an invisible kiai bursting outward from his body with enough force to knock all of his foes backward across the snowy field. He dashed toward Vegeta, vanishing into an afterimage once the Saiyan prince swung a punch at him. He reappeared with his back to Vegeta's own, and then he promptly rammed his elbow between Vegeta's shoulder blades, knocking him forward.

The prince swung around, delivering a blind kick that Bills swiftly leapt over "Ha, what;'s the matter Vegeta? All out of fuel?" His foot snapped forward, catching Vegeta in the jaw and sending the prince flying across the ground until he smashed into one large chunk of ice, shattering it into a cloud of vapor on impact.

It was at that moment that Blls' ears twitched, hearing Krillin yelling and rushing him from behind. He flipped backward, clean over the former Turtle Student, and then knocked him out with a swift chop to the back of his neck. "Hm. Two down already, and I'm only a little winded."

"Well let's see how long that lasts." Piccolo remarked, floating directly above Bills. He slowly reached for his turban and tossed it aside, and then he removed his weighted cape and shoulderpads.

"Oh, a Namek." Bills said, feigning interest at the sight "I'll admit, you're the strongest Namek in the galaxy, but you're nowhere near strong enough to match me."

Piccolo smirked, slowly cracking his knuckles and then rotating his neck "I had to learn the hard way that a fight can't be won entirely though brute force. Sometimes it takes a little bit of trickery." His antennae suddenly flicked forward, a bolt of white lightning bursting from the two antennae and catching Bills completely by surprise, trapping him in a paralysis beam. "NOW!" Piccolo roared at the top of his lungs, quickly dashing backward to avoid being caught in the incoming attacks.

Android 18, Inyon and Tien shot up into the air, all aiming at the temporarily trapped god. A steady stream of pink energy waves rapidly burst from Android 18's palm, a golden wave of light flew from Inyon's open mouth, and Tien fired a fully-charged Tri-Beam from his steepled fingers

A great flaming explosion rapidly engulfed Bills' body, a sphere of fire melting the surrounding snow, a deep crater burning where Bills had stood. The shockwaves created by the immense force sent quakes along the entire mountain range, causing avalanches on the surrounding mountains. Then, the attacks died down, revealing a deep smouldering crater in the side of the mountainside.

Suddenly a vent a purple light exploded upward from the deep crater, like lava bursting from a volcano. Massive boulders were flung high into the sky from the depths of the abyss, the shockwaves rising from the depths knocking the gathered Z-warriors back through the air.

Bills zipped into the sky, his muscle bulked up a little more and a few burns along his purple coat "Hehe...Okay Namekian, that was pretty good...Actually managed to hurt me a little...My turn." He dashed forward like a purple missile, closing the distance between himself and Piccolo at a blinding speed.

Piccolo drove one fist upward once Bills was close enough, his green knucles colliding with the Hakaishin with enough power to jerk his body back slightly. The attack only very briefly hindered the purple jackal, and he promptly smashed his knuckles into Piccolo's ribs, a purple whelt rapidly forming where he struck. A gag of agony escaped Piccolo's lips, and while he was recoiling from the pain, Bills flicked the Namekian on the forehead with enough force to launch his body down to earth.

The super-Namek crashed down several metres from the same crater Bills recently launched out of. His body smashed down into the earth, forming a nearby crater. Piccolo laid there there, groaning and unconscious.

Android 18 struck Bills from behind, her boot driving into the back of Bills' head and sending him tumbling through the air until he halted his momentum. "Hm. Impressive...Why can't I sense you?"

"I'm an Android, I don't have any detectable ki." Android 18 replied flatly, slowly adjusting her hair. She moved at the deity again, moving so fast that she utterly vanished from sight. This time however, Bills was ready. He lunged forth, smashing his fist into the Android's face mid-flight and sending her hurtling ad crashing into Tien's incoming body.

Once those two hit off of each other, Bills suddenly appeared directly above them and then drove both of his feet down, sending the two Z-Warriors smashing down into the snow. Just for good measure he fired off a golden bolt of ki from his fingertip, the ensuing explosion driving the duo deeper into the ground. "Hmph. I'm not much of a fan of technology."

Before Bills could moved another inch, he was suddenly surrounded by some sort of invisible wire, binding his arms to his sides and forcing his legs together. He grunted, wriggling around in the tight ki-sapping restraints "Oh I don't know, Android 18's not so bad once you get to know her." Zangya remarked in a bored fashion, pushing her hands out and amping up her Psycho Thread to make the wires as sturdy as possible.

"Hngh...So many interesting techniques you earth-dwellers have." Bills remarked, grunting and continuing to wriggle in his restraints.

"The Psycho Thread is one of Hera's oldest techniques. This'll hold you nice and tight, and then drain your ki away." Zangya remarked, smirking. This would work...She hoped.

Bills' feline mouth slowly curled up into a devilish smile. Indeed, he could feel his energy being sapped slightly, his whole body feeling a little heavier...But a technique like this wouldn't drain him dry any time soon. "A fun idea, and a noble effort. Shame it's doomed to fail." A loud snarling roar passed the jackal's fanged maw, his muscles bulking out further and his purple aura tearing the invisible wires away from his body.

Zangya's eyes widened in surprise, but before she could react any further Bills zipped forward and punched the Heran across the face. The green-skinned woman was sent ragdolling through the air, almost knocked out cold by that punch alone. However Frieza quickly caught her in mid air, his right arm wrapped around her mid-riff. "You son of a bitch." Frieza growled, his solid ruby eyes glaring at the furry god.

"Ugh...S-sorry...I let you down...I thought that attack would have been able to hold him..." Zangya murmured weakly. A small bit of blood dribbled from her damaged lip, the thick red liquid staining off of her white coat "Agh...Sorry..."

"Don't apologise." Frieza said sternly "You did what you could, and those wires managed to damage his ki a bit. We can do this..." Not that he really believed that, but he had to let her believe they had a chance "We might not be 'in love' but I don't like seeing you hurt."

"Ha...former lord of the galaxy...Saying stuff like that..." Zangya mumbled. She pulled from his grasp and then drifted down to the battle-scarred landscape "Take him down. I know you can."

Frieza nodded slowly "I'll do what I can." Goku appeared beside him, lightning crackling around his pale golden aura. From behind them came Vegeta and Saike, the oni teenager trembling with worry. "You know something Bills, I've been enduring what the humans call a 'mid-life crisis' for some time now. But you've inspired me, given me a new purpose."

Bills tilted his head in a curious fashion, moving one clawed finger up to lazily scratch under his chin "Is that so? Well do tell me, before I destroy you and this planet that is, how have I inspired you?"

The Arcosian smirked beneath his cracked faceplate, slowly lowering down into his fighting stance. His aura flashed to life, his body starting to glow white. Tremors echoed through the air around him, felt on the surrounding frosty mountains "You see...I know your type quite well. The big bully with far too much power and influence. I know, because I was quite like that myself in the past. Well, from now on, I'm going to be ready to put down you and anyone like you!"

Goku grinned at Frieza's confidence, and then joined him in powering up, their combined aura's sending even more powerful quakes across the landscape. With a combined yell the duo transformed, Goku ascending into his Super Saiyan 3 form and Frieza changing into his Super Arcosian 2 form.

Bills continued to smile, cocky despite the massive spikes in power between the duo. He watched as Vegeta powered up to his very limit, and despite his nerves even Saike was powering up as much as his base form would allow. Inyon floated up behind the others, grinning and powering up as much as she could. "Hm. A nice speech, and a lovely light show. But, well..." He crooked his finger, beckoning the duo "Actions speak louder than words."

* * *

A/N: Well, Bills is a tank here as he is in the movies. He's taken a few hits, rather strong ones even, but he's still going strong. So how will the Z-Warriors win at this rate?

Also we're almost up to 900 reviews, so yay! Maybe we'll breach the 1000 mark before the story finishes. Honestly I'm still shocked this is as popular as it is, but I still want to thank the people who have given their support.

**Acramados: LOL! So for one custard pudding, the earth is doomed...What a child Bills is... **

Yeah that's the vibe I got from reading up on the movie. He even shrunk King Kai's planet for beating him at a video game. Like Frieza said in this chapter, Bills is alot like he was during the Namek saga. A brat with far too much power who thought he could do as he pleased when he pleased because of his power.

**Ocnarf: Darkseid punch Bills**

I'm not...quite sure what you're getting at here.

**Imaginatrix: I still can't believe they named the god of destruction BILLS. I mean, I know Dragon Ball is known for the lousy names given to some of its characters, but SERIOUSLY.**

Eh, at least he's named after an actual word. He's doing better than Whis, I mean that name just sounds embarrassing.

**Sean Renaud: I am curious why Bills wanted the Saiyans gone, he seems like the kind of guy who would instead of destroying the Saiyans would actually attempt to let them get strong enough to be a worthy fight. **

You'd have to ask Akira Toriyama about that one. From my understanding, Bills just REALLY didn't like King Vegeta, and he does designate planets to be detroyed over rather petty reasons.

**Ocnarf: Bills still has not struggled with Superboy Prime**

Wha...? Why are you bringing up Superboy Prime?

**Dumanios: And of course, SSJGod Goku vs. SSJ4 Goku?**

Honestly i'd put my money on SSJ4. It doesn't have any time limit, and it seems to give a more substantial energy boost. Of course, we don't have power multipliers for either form to my knowledge.

**Nightshade1712: Ok I have a question is Bills really a bad guy, or just an untrained person with to much power for his own good, Now I know he is a god and all but he doesn't seem like a bad guy, only a little spoiled.**

Well I wouldn't call him 'evil.' I mean, destroying worlds is his job, and in the DB universe planets have to be destroyed in order for new ones to be created. That said, while he's not evil, Bills is rather immature and he does what he wants because of his power and status. Again, kind of like Frieza was back on Namek.

**ShadowLDrago: BTW, will Frieza ever fuse with anyone and will Gigeta ever form?**

We'll see. I'd tell you more, but people tend to flip their shit if I try to say what elements might show up next.

**Guest: Honestly, I liked the first half the best. I mean it seemed to have more of a purpose to it**

To be honest, I agree with you. I think the writing for this part of the story is better, but I was having more fun writing the earlier chapters of the story. Oh well.


	55. Pulling Out All The Stops

Frieza and Goku launched themselves at Bills at the same time, attacking him from both sides. Their fists and feet moved at blinding speeds, blurs of motion faster than even their other allies could follow. But it seemed Bills' power and speed was so vast that he could block or dodge their attacks, even though Goku and Frieza were both in their most powerful forms right now.

Bills suddenly leaned back, seeing his two foes aiming simultaneous punched to his head. Once he moved back, Goku and Frieza's punches instead struck each other, burying their fists into each other's face. "Tsk tsk, such clumsy warriors." Bills mocked. He swung his arms out, his fists striking the duo in the abdomen and sending them hurtling back through the air in opposite directions.

While the deity was gloating, Vegeta dove down to strike him from behind, his boot aimed squarely at the purple cat's neck. Just when he was about to hit, Bills spun around to dodge the attack and promptly kicked Vegeta down through the air with a firm blow to the lower back.

The prince managed to stp himself several metres from the snowy ground, grunting in pain and discomfort from the throbbing pain in his back. "Damnit...how is he still going...?" Vegeta murmured.

"Hehe...Not to easy to keep up with me without that rage backing you up, is it little prince?"

"I...Will skin you alive...and make you into a coat for my wife, you stupid prissy feline!"

Bills pouted and then slowly wagged his finger at the injured Saiyan "Such rudeness. You really should learn to respect your better Vegeta. I'm afraid I'll have to punish you." he aimed his finger at Vegeta, a burning sphere of orange light slowly forming at the tip of his extended claw.

Before the Hakaishin could fire off what would surely be a killing blow, there was a massive sonic boom to his side, a golden comet wreathed in lightning charging towards him. "BANZAI!" Inyon yelled at the top of her lungs. Bills turned and then crossed his arms, the female Super Saiyan colliding against his blocked limbs with such force that it shattered the ground several dozen metres below them.

Inyon grunted in discomfort and then lurched backward. A nervous laugh escaped her, and she cautiously watched the visibly unimpressed jackal. "Can I um...Can I have a do-over?"

"Ooooh, sorry dear. I'm not a fan of second chances." Bills replied in a dry fashion. Inyon threw a rapid punch, and the Hakaishin lazily cocked his head to dodge the attack. His own fist shot out, his knuckles smashing into Inyon's abdomen, making her eyes bulge out. Her rigid golden hair reverted to it's normal dark red shade and then fell down again. She fell back down toward the earth and then crashed into one bank of snow.

"Ow...For a bunny rabbit...you're a real jerk..."

"Being nice isn't exactly in my job description." Bills said. He turned his focus back to Vegeta, seeing him stretching one hand out and forming a crackling blue ball of energy in his palm.

A loud yell escaped Vegeta as he shoved his hand outward, triumphantly roaring out **"BIG BANG ATTACK!" **firing the blue ball of energy outward. Bills pushed his own palm out, catching the blast in the air and grunting to hold it in place. Smoke and steam rose out of is palm, and the feline grit his teeth as he tried to keep the world-destroying blast at bay.

Inch by inch the blast started forcing Bills back, and it seemed that all of Vegeta's remaining power was pushing Bills to rather impressive heights. "Hngh...Not...Bad...Shame that this is not enough to stop me, Saiyan."

He crushed his hand down around the Big Bang Attack, letting the ball of ki explode against him and engulf his body in the raging firestorm. He extended his aura outward, forcing the smoke and ash away from his furred body to reveal his burnt and scarred hand."A good effort, another good effort. You people have actually managed to hurt me...slightly. Of course, I'm only using about half of my power right now."

Vegeta's eyes widened in shock, and he took a cautious step backwards "N-no...that's...that's not possible, nobody could have that kind of power!"

"Oh but I do. I suppose that's why I'm a god, and you're a mor-"

Goku suddenly appeared out of hyperspace, both of his feet smashing the side of Bills' head and launching him clean across the sky. While the blow was a strong one, it was more to do with it catching Bills by surprise that it knocked him so far. Frieza also materialised out of hyperspace and then smashed the god downward with a mighty ki-charged punch that sent the purple feline crashing into one chunk of ice.

Frieza pushed his other hand out and took aim with his index finger, firing off a barrage of full-power Death Beams with the speed of machine gun fire, a wave of explosions engulfing Bills on the ground below, sending earthquakes around the surrounding area. "I happen to rather like this planet!" Frieza snarled, increasing the speed of his finger beams "And I will not allow you to destroy i-"

With shocking speed, Bills drove straight up into she sky, past the onslaught of attacks, and proceeded to bury his fist into the super Arcosian's stomach with enough force to make a bulge in Frieza's back. Frieza lurched forward, gagging and retching in pain, trying to form a fist despite the knots in his stomach. Then, with a dismissive wave of his arm, Frieza's damaged body was flung down to the snowy landscape.

Not skipping a beat, Bills crossed the sky at a blinding speed, bombarding Goku with high-speed punches that sent Goku staggering back across the sky. "Damnit..." Vegeta grunted, watching from the ground "We're doomed...We can't overpower him..."

Saike had been worried about interfering all this time, but now seeing his master being brutally beaten, watching bruises form on his face and exposed chest, he wasn't willing to hang back any longer. An aura of red ki burst out around the oni, and he promptly launched himself at the Hakaishin, launching out a flurry of kicks, only for every blow to be blocked by one of Bills' superhumanly fast arms "Ngh...Get away from my master!"

"No." Bills said firmly. He jumped back to dodge one kick and then he promptly jammed his arm out, the ensuing air-pressure attack knocking Saike toward the surface, whereupon he smashed into the snow and carved a deep trench into the earth with his body. "Nice kid. Not too bright."

Without even looking back to Goku, the Hakaishin raised one arm up to block an incoming punch that sent shockwaves running along the ground below. Bills turned and drove his fist into Goku's ribs, the Saiyans eyes bulging out from the pain. He grunted and shoved himself back through the air, powering down from SSJ3 to SSJ2. "Ngh...Damn you."

"Well, I do believe I've won. Oh sure, you still have the power to maintain that form, but it's still far from strong enough to harm me." Bills said mockingly. He moved his arm out and flicked Goku's nose, making the Saiyan howl in pain as the power behind the flick was strong enough to break his nose.

The pained yelling seemed to draw Saike's attention again, and he shot out of the crater his body had formed, moving more than three times faster than he had when he last charged at Bills. The Hakaishin was only narrowly able to block the storm of superhumanly fast punches that the possessed oni was launching his way. "I...Said...Leave him alone!"

The shockwaves being caused by the clashing super warriors were strong enough to continually knock Goku backward, but he was able to focus enough to see Saike. Cracks were forming along his body, unnatural light glowing from the area as if light was being beamed from within.

That seal was going to break. As dangerous as this was, Goku knew that the strongest thing they had on offer against Bills, to buy some time at least, was Janemba. "Saike!" Goku yelled above the thunderous booming explosions "You have to let it go! Let Janemba loose!"

It seemed so shocking to hear that command, that Saike looked away from Bills for just a moment to stare wide-eyed at his mentor. In the split second that Saike looked away, Bills pulled his fist back and cracked his fist across the young oni's face, broken fragments of teeth flying out of his mouth. He reached down, grabbed Saike by the ankle, and then flung him skyward.

Bills suddenly reappeared in the sky to intercept Saike, and he promtly swung a downward kick that hit the oni's lower back and sent him hurtling down to the ground at hypersonic speed. Not letting up, Bills shoved his palm out and fired off a bolt of red lightning that traveled downward and struck Saike's back, carrying him down to earth even further.

When the two struck the ground, the blast erupted into a mighty explosion that formed a dome of blazing orange light that lit up the sky and shattered the landscape. When the glow of the explosion died down, it was revealed that it had created a crater so deep that the bottom couldn't be seen, a seemingly endless black void stretching down into the crust of the planet.

"Hmph..Well, he lasted a little longer than I was expecting. Quite fast, but not fast enough to break my guard." Bills said, slowly shaking his hand to blow some soot away from it.

"Ha. Well it's not over yet." Goku remarked, smirking. Bills was about to ask what the hell the Saiyan was talking about, when his question was answered by a column of purple light bursting out of the deep dark chasm, stretching up into the clouds.

The earth rumbled around the crater, sending large clouds of snow blowing up into the air from the growing force. Purple lightning crackled along the perimeter of the crater, gradually growing more and more intense with every passing second. And then, rather abruptly, the strange surge of energy stopped. Bills peered into the crater, now black again, his eyebrow raised in a curious fashion "What the-"

A small portal suddenly opened directly behind Bills, a red fist flying out and striking the Hakaishin between the shoulder blades. Another opened to his right a split second later, another fist flying out and driving into his shoulder. Within seconds, multiple portals were opening and closing all around him in rapid succession, punches and kicks hammering Bills from all around and bruising him more and more, the random attack pattern making it impossible for the feline to guard.

Luckily for him, he managed to open his eyes long enough to see a portal opening directly in front of him. With lightning fast reflexes, Bills caught the incoming fist and then yanked it's owner cean through the rift which closed directly behind him once he was all the way through.

There he was, Janemba, the entity born of pure evil. A manic fanged grin was etched across his face, a long cackle escaping him once he saw Bills' shocked expression. "Who...What the hell is this?! Where did you come from?!"

Janemba gave a loud, wheezy laugh in response before he lunged forward and started launching rapid-fire punches and kicks. Bills only managed to block a few of the hits before Janemba buried his fist into the Hakaishin's gut, leaving him winded enough for the demon to grab him by his long tail and fling him across the sky with it.

Janemba took off after the shocked deity, quickly intercepting him and striking him in the ribs with a powerful roundhouse kick that drove the jackal down to the ground. Bills bounced along the snowy earth a few times before flipping and landing on his feet, reacting just in time to dodge another kick. He let out a very feline hiss and drove his entire forearm against the evil entities red gut, winding the demon and making him noisily grunt in pain.

With his opponent briefly stunned, Bills struck him in the face hard enough to send him flying straight into the clouds. Bills lowered himself down, a red and purple aura dancing along his body once he began to power up, the ground shaking around him as he drew out an extra 10% of his full power. "This must be the 'Ultimate Warrior' that the Oracle Fish mentioned to me...hehehe...I will break every bone in that miserable freak's body!"

* * *

Across the mountain range, Goku landed beside Vegeta and Frieza, noticing that the Arcosian had changed back to his fourth form. "Well, your apprentice seems to be doing well." Frieza said, watching the distant booms of power coming from the two "But I have to question your logic of letting another unstoppable threat loose to deal with the one we already have here."

"Janemba won't be able to win." Vegeta said grimly, slowly crossing his arms over his chest "That whole time we were all fighting him as a group, he was only using half of his power at most. That demon is stronger than he was last time, but it isn't enough to overpower Bills."

"Oh that's lovely." Frieza muttered "Well gentlemen, I think it's fair to assume we're doomed."

Goku grinned his normal absent-minded grin "I didn't set Janemba loose because I thought he could win. I set him loose to buy us some time."

Vegeta turned to his rival, raising his eyebrow "What on earth are you talking about clown? Buying time for what?"

Again, Goku grinned "I take Saike to Otherworld to train pretty often, and whenever I'm there I get to see warriors from all the galaxies and their special techniques. There's one technique I saw there that really interested me, and I think you guys will like it to. It's called the Fusion Dance."

* * *

A/N: Kind of a short chapter, but I'm hoping the next chapter will have more substantial length and action to it. How much time can Janemba buy for the others? And what of Gohan, will he arrive for the battle?

**-Chaosconetic: Also, I'm wondering now once this is over, what project will you set to writing next? I've grown to enjoy your fics and writing style, its obvious you've evolved some since you started this story, you can see the gradual change as the chapters go on.**

Thanks for the compliment. I'm likely gonna focus on writing my story Guardian when this story ends, but I might do the odd mini-crossover or one shot in addition.

**- irishauthor94: the story works well, i do have a few nitpicks though. you mentioned how one of the problems with the Buu saga was how Gohan didn't end up being the hero that the Cell Saga built him up to be, i WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with that. so i was interested to see what you'd do with him here...**

**and after Cell... you've done even less with him than Toriyama did in canon...**

**i hope you turn that around,**

In my defense, the Cell saga was built up and ended in such a way that Gohan could take over as main character. That wasn't my inention for this story as Frieza is meant to be the main focus, and since Goku comes back after the Cell games in this then Gohan doesn't need to take his place. However Gohan has been training more in this story, so at the very least I have made him more powerful and competent than Gohan was at the start of the Buu saga.

**-Walker Slayer: Do you think maybe before the story ends you could have Bardock return for a quick appearance and make amends with Frieza, as he did ordered to have all of his comrades killed?**

Ehhhh...Probably not. While it is an interesting idea, I don't really see any point in which I could bring that up. Besides, Bardock is the president of the Anti-Frieza fanclub, he's likely not going to listen to anything Frieza has to say.

**-ShinyShiza: Will the kids actually fight Bills? Or will they keep getting left out?**

They're relatively weak and don't have anything like the fusion dance, so they'd be about as useful as Oolong in a fight.

**-Secundum: I don't suppose you'll be doing a GT spin-off once the story's over?**

Likely not, sorry.

**-Nightshade1712: Ok now I have another question are you going to have him turn good or something or is he just going to get beat and killed?**

Just wait and see, there are like, two more chapters to this here.

**-Ocnarf: What I mean is that Bills would lose in a fight with Darkseid and Superboy Prime.**

**Since Bills can be a god of destruction, but Darkseid is a New God is a god of darkness.**

**In a fight would break her face Prime to Bills as the Kal El Prime can destroy universes with blows.**

**In DBZ universe never destroyed the only planets.**

**Besides rays would kill Darkseid Omega easily Bills.**

Oh. Well okay then.

**- Impstar: Well, not bad. I've never watched the movie that had Bills in it; was he hit as much in that movie too? For a being far beyond their power the Z-fighters are sure getting a lot of hits in.**

Well that's mainly because he's being caught off guard or hit with techniques he's never encountered before, like the psycho thread or the paralysis beam. Besides, I had to let them get some hits in to make the chapers longer.


End file.
